Deaf NOT Dumb

Pictures are from last week when Bebo received his new Phonak hearing aids. Pictures pretty much speak for themselves.

 So Excited!

Surprised by sound

 Pleased!

This is how China labels some of their deaf children in the waiting children program. It is not acceptable as these children are not dumb!

When people find out that Bebo is deaf I get that "Oh" and a long pause. Up until recently you would not have known he had any hearing issues. Now with his hearing aides, it is a little bit more obvious. I've had a wild array of comments from the moment he arrived. Anywhere from does he read your lips (this just coming home from China) to questions of his intelligence. Why do people automatically think he has intellectual impairment?

What I'm also find is that people like to go to the extremes! They approach him and then talk really slowly to him stretching their mouth out making it difficult to lip read. He tries his hardest to repeat the word back. It is not going to sound anything like what the person is trying to get him to say. The sounds that he makes is Ba, occasionally Ma and some sounds that come from his throat. You know, like humming. He is not a mute. People are surprised that he makes noise. I think this is one of the most common misinformed pieces of information of deaf people. If they are not doing that they will shout - distorting their lip patterns, again this makes it difficult to lip read.  He is deaf you know, not stupid so just talk normally or just a little bit slower. Not too slow as this makes YOU look really silly. Don't be afraid to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention, it’s OK and helps. Waving is mighty handy as well. Yelling at him from behind does not work even with his new hearing aids in. Just because he has those in does not mean he knows what he hears. Every sounds he hears is brand new and he can not distinguish what is what.

Bebo has done well with simple gestures. That is all China taught him the whole 7 yrs he was there. OK, they found out we were coming so they scrambled and taught him a few "signs". He is signing more and more thanks to his amazing school and the signs that we've taught him at home.

Quote:

"For Hearing People Only" (Third Edition) by Matthew S Moore and Linda Levitan. With a foreward by Harlan Lane. Both are Deaf so forth, Linda is Latened Deaf.


Think about the last time you used the word "dumb". you used it to describe something stupid, clumsy, or foolish, right? A century ago, this term was in common use. Nobody thought twice about its propriety. It's outmoded now, and insultingly inaccurate. We're aware that this term is still used in England to describe someone who is deaf, but that doesn't say much for the discernment of those who persist in using it. As for the correct term, why not simply say "deaf"?


"Mute" prefers to someone who cannot talk, that is, produce intelli-gible speech, or someone who has malfunctioning or missing vocal cords. "Mutism" is a medical or psychological condition_the inability or refusal to produce sounds. Virtually all deaf person are physically and psychologically normal in this area. They have vocal cords and voices, just as the vast majority of hearing people do. This also applies to deaf people who prefer to communicate exclusively in sign language. Their vocal apparatus is perfectly normal. But, being deaf, they cannot hear themselves talk, and thus, cannot easily modulate their voices. Consider: If you were born deaf or became deaf as an infant and have never heard yourself talk, it's extremely difficult to talk clearly, with normal intonation. So signing is the natural mode of communication for many deaf people; speaking can never be. A few deaf people have good clear articulation better than some hearing people but most don't. It's a matter of personal preference, deciding what we feel most comfortable with.

We dislike these terms because they now convey a negative attitude. "Deaf and dumb" does not connote pride or wholeness. It conjures a pitiful, pathetic, dull-witted image, with a hint of subnormal intelligence. "Deaf-Mute" suggests that a deaf person is doomed to a life of silence, without speech, without hope. We've run into these terms repeatedly, and we find them annoying, inaccurate, and insulting.

Hope this information helps. :)