Terms acceptable and NOT acceptable to the Deaf community

The following terms are NOT ACCEPTABLE to the Deaf community:

1. Deaf - and – Dumb
* The Deaf may not be able to hear, but it does not mean that they are stupid or retarded.
2. Deaf – Mute
* Some of them voiced, and voiced well. But they decide when and with whom they want to voice. Because they cannot hear how loud/soft, how high/low their voice is, sometimes they are ridiculed and they feel terrible. Would you want to be laughed at? Neither the Deaf.
3. Amang
* Visayan version of mute. Not true.
4. Hearing – Impaired
* Why focus on the negative? This term was popular in the 70s and 80s, but now it is just used mostly by doctors, audiologists and other people who are mainly interested in our ears "not working".

The following terms are ACCEPTABLE to the Deaf:

1. deaf
* This is OK, if talking in general about people with hearing loss.
2. Hard - of - Hearing
* Some of the Deaf can use the telephone, and hear quite a bit. Hard-of-hearing people live in both the hearing world and Deaf world - they have an identity of our own.
3. Deaf
* YES! The big D distinguishes the Deaf as a group of people with their own unique language and culture. They have their own identity, and they would like to be respected as such. Many people all over the world call themselves Deaf.