Quote:
Originally Posted by DazzlinDino
I am just saying if you're addressing someone who is deaf just use the first name or learn sign language to communicate with them. We should never label them deaf and dumb, which some of the older generations still does. Sometimes it is because that's the language that they learned at the time. As a deaf person myself, I understand these terms and how they are hurtful; But I am really proud of the people who've become educated, who treat me as an equal just like everybody else.They don't see my deafness, they just see a person. I like that and I hope that that continues to grow so that everyone can enjoy the same experience. I guess I'm just saying it starts with education but it does get better.
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I would never use your or anyone else's deafness as a reason to insult them or mistreat them. So I think I get what you're saying in that sense, but I guess I'm pushing back against a blanket ban on the word "deaf" in totality because it's a useful word to describe something. Like I can't acknowledge you or where you're coming with your own personal journey with deafness unless we can both use the word to communicate what specific affliction we're talking about. And that goes for mute, blind, lame, handicapped, anything. It seems to me we're in danger of banishing these words because they're old school, but they convey meaning of very real conditions that exist and people still need to deal with whether or not the old word gets used for them.
In the end I think we can agree with what someone else here said, crack down on losers who insult people for their conditions but don't blanket banish the words. Or something in that vein.