LETTER: The deaf are handicapped

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to the article in the March 28 Statesman concerning the culture of the deaf. In the article, an educator was quoted as saying deaf people are not handicapped.

“Deaf people can do anything but hear. Their emotions, feelings, skills, learning abilities – all are the same,” he stated. He is wrong. Deaf people are handicapped, however politically incorrect it may be to say so. The dictionary defines “handicap” as “A physical (or mental) disability,” or “A hindrance.” By both of these definitions, being deaf would be considered a handicap.

The definition of “handicapped” is “To cause to be at a disadvantage; impede.” Not being able to hear certainly causes many disadvantages. A main disadvantage would be the difficulty in communicating with the majority of the hearing world. There are also many other activities in which a deaf person would be impeded because of his or her inability to hear.

Claiming that deaf people are “not handicapped” is simply an excuse to ignore their problem. Instead, we should realize that there are some activities that they have difficulty participating in, and there are times when they have difficulty communicating with people that can hear. We should work toward a better understanding of the deaf culture, and a world which is more accepting and accommodating of the hearing impaired.

Jan Marie Andersen