DEAF not DUMB

When referring to deaf people who do not speak, the term “deaf and dumb” (or simply “dumb”) is considered offensive.

Because many Deaf people do not use a spoken language, they are considered “mute”. The term “dumb” has an archaic meaning that means “mute”. Of course, the term “dumb” now has a more common meaning that implies stupidity, which certainly does not apply to Deaf people. Being Deaf is not a mental illness; it is simply a problem with their hearing, which can impair their ability to speak clearly or, in some cases, at all.

Given the long history of deafness and the fact that Deaf people have been wrongly assumed to be mentally deficient simply because they do not speak, it is understandable that most Deaf people dislike being labelled “Deaf and Dumb.”

Deaf-mute is a term used to describe someone who is either deaf and uses sign language or is both deaf and cannot speak. The term is still used to describe deaf people who cannot speak an oral language or have some degree of speaking ability and communicate through sign language. Outside of its historical context, some consider it a derogatory term; the preferred term today is simply “deaf.”