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Someone who is unable to hear or speak



 
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Someone who is unable to hear or speak #1 (permalink) Thu May 25, 2006 10:15 am   Someone who is unable to hear or speak
 

how should I call "someone who is unable to hear or speak" politely?
Floratang
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Someone who is unable to hear or speak #2 (permalink) Thu May 25, 2006 11:51 am   Someone who is unable to hear or speak
 

Hi floratang

I understand that you want to know how you should refer to someone who can't hear or speak. That's a good question.

Technically speaking, a person who can't hear is deaf and a person who can't speak is dumb. So, you could simply say: "He is deaf and dumb".

Some people would say "He's a deaf-mute."

But I understand that deaf people who also don't speak (because they're deaf) prefer to be called just "deaf".

So, it might be most polite to just say: "He's deaf."

Amy
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Deaf #3 (permalink) Fri May 26, 2006 23:42 pm   Deaf
 

DON'T say "deaf and dumb".

"Deaf mute" will do.
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