Sunday 7th September 2008
This Sunday will NEVER erase from my memory...well at least one particular event. After Deaf Church, some of the Deaf and I were walking from Church to High Street, San Fernando. It was a good day for walking. The sun was very friendly and polite. Everyone was walking and talking and laughing. Some people were walking a short distance in front of me.
While we were passing the market, I realised that the boys walking beyond me stopped and were reading a flyer and from their body language I could tell that something had gotten them upset. Colin came up to me and demanded a pen or pencil. When I gave him a pen he emphatically stratched something off from one of the flyers. I decided to look at the flyer and see what the problem was.
It so happened that the flyer was informing people of a missing person. At the end of the notice "Deaf and Dumb" was written. Everyone pointed aggressively to the word "dumb" and it seemed as if they were all talking at the same time but the message was clear. THEY DID NOT LIKE TO BE DESCRIBED AS DUMB.
I'm sure you know what word Colin scratched off. That's right - "dumb". Well as you know flyers documenting Missing Persons are not going to appear singly. So there were flyers pasted along the market wall as we walked forward. They tried to scratch off the word "dumb" on all the flyers but I could see the increasing distress and discomfort in their faces. Eventually Shiva just violently pulled down and crumpled one of the flyers and pitched it away.
I just looked on and so many things changed for me at that moment. First of all the word dumb connotes that a person is stupid. It is in this connotation that the word becomes offensive. It is offensive to refer to any human being as unintelligible. Agreed? So why continue to use this term to refer to the Deaf. Aren't they also human? I speak in their defense and after witnessing such a moving event I can not tolerate anyone referring to any Deaf person as "dumb".
Many times I have to reassess my own view of the world. They have helped me to realise that we have complicated our worlds and forgotten the simple, more meaningful and intangible things in life. Laughter and humour, friendship and togetherness are things we allow to fade and phase out as we grow older. The essense of a geniune smile, laugh and compliment have been corrupted in our civilised and convenient world. Know that the Deaf have managed to preserve it. How then can they be dumb? If they are able to interpret human expressions that we tend to overlook, how could we call them dumb? If we could learn from their childlike faith, who are we to call them dumb?
Please take time to consider the Deaf amongst us as well as the disabled. It does not take much for the average person to make their lives and their world less difficult and more comfortable and welcoming. Do your part. The Deaf may not have a spoken language, but they are definitely not dumb!
2 comments:
Hey lana so i was checking out the ministry you are involved in currently..Being able to relate to the "physically disabled" and not "dumb" has always been something i considered having a gift for...it is a challenge in life to be presented with disabilities but that bridge has been gapped with the use of sign language..hopefully someday i would be able to communicate with the deaf as well. I don't think some people are insensitive and purposely use the word "dumb" to refer to the "deaf" i just believe that they are unaware of the significance or should i say stigma attached to that word or for want of better words they just do not know how to refer to the physically disabled and so they use the word "dumb". To the common man "dumb" is just not used to describe someone who is not intelligent but also someone who is unable to hear and/or speak, at least that is how the common man perceives deaf people to be. my suggestion is to educate those who do not know so that in the future no one would be offended and/or embarassed by the poor choice of words.
Kavita, I could not have said that any better. You hit the nail on its head. The root of the problem is lack of knowledge and because of the communication barrier which is really a language barrier between the Deaf and Hearing, change is not really forthcoming. I agree with you. People must be educated, both Deaf and Hearing about the stigma as well as the ignorance associated with the word 'dumb'. I also hope that one day you'll learn sign language! We have sign language classes ever so often so I could let you know if you're interested. Thank you for your support and recommendation. I think its sound advice.
Post a Comment