Terminology
The issue
What are the "proper" terms and definitions to be used in regard to deafness?
CAD's position
The Deaf, the deafened, and the hard of hearing are all very distinct groups.
Using the proper terminology shows respect for their differences.
deaf
A medical/audiological term referring to those people who
have little or no functional hearing (deaf, Deaf, and deafened).
May also be used as a collective noun ("the deaf" or “small-d deaf”) to refer to people who are medically deaf but who do not
necessarily identify with the Deaf community.
In addition, children who are deaf are usually referred to as “deaf” because they may not yet have been socialized into either the Deaf or the non-Deaf culture. If they use Sign as their first language, they are referred to “Deaf”.
(“big-D”)
Deaf
A sociological term referring to those individuals who are
medically deaf or hard of hearing who identify with and participate
in the culture, society, and language of Deaf people, which
is based on Sign language. Their preferred mode of communication
is Sign.
D/deaf
Used as a collective noun to refer to both those “Deaf”
people who identify with the Deaf culture and those “deaf”
people who do not.
deafened (Also known as late-deafened.) This is both a medical and a sociological term referring to individuals who have become deaf later in life and who may not be able to identify with either the Deaf or the hard of hearing communities.
hard of
hearing
A person whose hearing loss ranges from mild to profound
and whose usual means of communication is speech. It is both
a medical and a sociological term.
hearing impaired
This term is not acceptable in referring to people with
a hearing loss. "Hearing
impairment" is a medical condition; it is not a collective noun for people who have varying
degrees of hearing loss. It also fails to recognize the differences
between the Deaf and the hard of hearing communities.
person who
is deaf
Acceptable but overly sensitive substitute for "deaf".
manual deaf,
Signing deaf
A deaf person whose preferred mode of communication
is Sign language.
oral deaf
A deaf person whose preferred mode of communication
is verbal and auditory. An oral deaf person who can both Sign
and speak can be considered "Deaf" if
he/she is accepted as such by other Deaf persons and uses Sign
within the Deaf community.
deaf-mute
Unacceptable. A deaf person may choose not to use
his/her voice; this does not make him/her a "mute".
deaf and dumb
Offensive.
Deaf-plus
Although it has been used for many years to refer
to people who have disabilities in addition to deafness, the
preferred terms now are “Deaf with mental disabilities,” “Deaf-blind,” “Deaf with
CP,” etc.
Non-Deaf Term used to distinguish between the Deaf community and all other people: hearing, hard of hearing, deafened, and oral deaf.
Sign Language
The official language of the Deaf community. Should
always be capitalized, just as English and French are capitalized,
because all three are legitimate languages. (We recognize that
capitalization of language/culture names is not a common feature
of most languages,
but it is so in English.)
TTY
The proper acronym for the special devices used by D/deaf,
hard of hearing, and hearing people to communicate with each
other through the telephone system. The French term is ATS.
TDD
No longer acceptable as the acronym for special telephone
devices.
TT (Text Telephone)
Used in some European countries and by the
Federal Communications Commission of the United States as a substitute
term for "TTY". Not accepted in Canada because it is a hearing-invented term and because the
Sign for it is impolite in ASL.
Approved: 26 May 2007
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The
Canadian Association of the Deaf
203 - 251 Bank Street
K2P 1X3
(613)565-8882 TTY
(613)565-2882 Voice
(613)565-1207 Fax
www.cad.ca
