Meera Modi - Guest post #8

In previous blogs I have explained about D/deaf. In addition, there are words that will offend some people.

Acceptable terms to use are: deaf, hearing impaired, and hard of hearing. However, each of those terms has different meanings; deaf means a total loss of hearing (but most people who do not have total loss of hearing still prefer to label themselves deaf). Hearing impaired covers the spectrum of deafness, from a slight hearing loss to a severe hearing loss. Hard of hearing means some hearing loss, but not severe.

Unacceptable terms are: deaf and dumb, as a sentence. Deaf is acceptable, but joining it with the term "dumb" is not. This is a very out-of-date term, and very few deaf people are "dumb" these days. Almost everyone who is deaf can manage speech. It is true that their quality of speech varies, but dumb refers to someone who cannot make a sound with their voice. Dumb also hints that that person is intellectually incapable, but possessing intelligence has nothing to do with whether they can hear or not.

Acceptable:

Disability - this is a general term and just means someone's ability is impaired.

Unacceptable:

Normal, when referring to people without disabilities. This implies that people with disabilities are abnormal!

Healthy, when referring to people without disabilities - many people with disabilities are also perfectly healthy. Being deaf does not mean I am unhealthy.

To refer to someone as "the deaf girl/boy/woman/man" - people should not be defined solely by their disability. They may be deaf, but they may also be businessmen, office workers, wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, someone's offspring - they are always more than just being a deaf person.

Afflicted (with deafness) - a disability is not an affliction.

I hope people will be more considerate about what term they use, as it is too easy to use the wrong one and hurt people's feelings. I've had days where I've met someone and they've said "oh, you're the deaf girl?" It makes me feel "is that all I am?"