"We may think the words, “deaf and dumb,” belongs to an era in the past when people used horses for transportation, but the phrase is still in Tennessee state law." - Daily Moth
Tennessee State Rep. Darren Jernigan (D) and Tennessee State Senator Becky Duncan Massey (R) have brought a new bill to replace the phrase "deaf and dumb" with "deaf and hard of hearing" wherever it may appear in the Tennessee State code. This offensive phrase is still in use in several states. The Daily Moth ASL News mentions how important phrasing and words are, that rhetoric is outdated and no longer accepted. Language matters, and it reflects who they are.
Sen. Massey said “…When you’re in a court system or you’re being recognized by Tennessee law, because you are hard of hearing or cannot speak, you’re not dumb. That’s not a characteristic of having a disability.”
Many negative terms have been assigned to the deaf and hard of hearing population, but "deaf and dumb" has the most impactful stigma associated with it. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) describes 'dumb' as referring to someone who could not speak or are 'silent.' Language like this is offensive and misrepresents the Deaf community. Implying that deaf people are dumb or mentally deficient just because they do not speak. Changes like these are impactful among deaf people, representing change and moving towards no longer being considered less than or unable.
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