Not long ago, I went to the pharmacy to buy medicine, when upon entering, I am greeted by one of the attendants signaling “good morning” in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). Soon after, he continued the service in Portuguese.
As a person who took the discipline of Libras for a semester in college, I was able to know that it was the language and I also identified with the nervous way of signaling, very clear of a person who is having the first contact with it and wants to practice everywhere to not forget what he learned.
I still saw that attendant for a few weeks, but then I didn’t see him again for a long time, until I met him again on a second time I went to the pharmacy before work. When I saw him again, and now as a student of a basic one-year course in Libras, I decided to greet him by signaling “good morning”, and we started a mini conversation in which he began by saying “have you ever imagined being served by a deaf-mute?
Upon hearing the mention of the term “deaf-mute” soon my excitement diminished a little and I began to have several doubts about where he was learning Libras and that he had not been taught the correct terminology to refer to deaf people.
In contexts of proximity to whoever I am talking to, I am quite eager to explain the correct terminology for that case, but in this conversation scenario, where there was no proximity at all, I felt compelled to explain and generate a general discomfort. I just didn’t say anything. But I kept rethinking this situation throughout the day, until I woke up and realized that I should write this text to somehow redeem myself for not having been an agent of change for someone.
If you are someone who also uses the term “deaf-mute” to refer to deaf people, you may be wondering, but is it wrong? Why all this big text about it?
The truth is that it is wrong, and I will explain why.
Deaf people, for many years, suffered (and still suffer) with the lack of information from society in general. The Brazilian Sign Language was only recognized as a language of the country on April 24, 2002, through Law No. 10.436. And for a long time, the deaf had to fight for the right to use their native language to communicate. Being forced to learn Portuguese and communicate through an oral language, having their own language being treated as something bad and forbidden.
To prevent this lack of information from continuing to make victims, it is important to understand and avoid certain terms that can encourage the transmission of misconceptions. Deaf people are NOT necessarily mute. One has to separate these two concepts.
Deaf people are those who have some condition that affects the sense of hearing. They may not be totally deaf, or they may use hearing aids and implants that help them with their hearing, just as glasses can help some situations that affect the sense of sight.
If the deaf do not speak or emit sounds that for listeners may sound strange, it is necessary to understand the type of deafness of that person and also their environment and culture, but this does not necessarily imply that they are also mute or that they cannot speak or emit sounds. In the vast majority of cases, the system responsible for speech is intact, so there is no impediment for that person to speak, shout, etc.
So no, a deaf person is not necessarily mute. So no, don’t call a deaf person a deaf-mute.
Ah, Loana, but then what do I call them? Ah, Loana, but why doesn’t he speak “normally”?
First, let’s abolish the use of that word “normal” in the context of people with disabilities. In the middle of 2022, it is important that we are able to understand that my normal is not your normal, and that being normal is plural. So, the way the deaf express themselves, be it only through sign language, be it by emitting sounds that are not necessarily Portuguese words or even if they are Portuguese, but with a particular “accent”, all of this is also normal.
And about speaking or not speaking Portuguese or any oral language such as English, Italian, Spanish, etc., can indeed be a choice of the deaf person. It is necessary to understand that there is a whole culture that involves the deaf community. As well as various factors that influence her personal choice.
Deafness is part of a spectrum, where it is possible to go from a mild hearing loss to complete deafness. Some can be modified by the use of hearing aids and implants, others not. And the environment in which the person is inserted and his culture also changes his choice. They can choose to work on their identity as a deaf person by not using hearing aid or implant and only sign in sign language, just as they can choose to use Portuguese to communicate with other Portuguese speakers. It is a choice that is up to the individual him/herself and must be respected.
Another relevant point to be addressed is the issue of difficulty that the deaf person may find to learn Portuguese. Depending on the degree of deafness of this person, a sign language will be a much more natural language to be learned as a first language and the language that will mark all language acquisition of this person. How so, Loana?
As a listener who has Portuguese as a first language (or mother tongue), whenever I want to learn a new language, my whole system of codes for understanding and interpreting this new language is based on my initial knowledge acquired in Portuguese. If when I hear the word “apple” I can visualize a red colored fruit with a specific shape that is none other than an apple, it is because I first learned what an apple is through Portuguese.
As a hearing person, I never had any difficulty absorbing and receiving the message that came in the Portuguese oral language, and little by little, I was associating that code with some meaning, allowing me to understand the overall system and thus interpret messages that were passed to me (pure semiotic juice here, I hope it doesn’t get too confusing).
But a deaf person can find it very difficult to receive the message if it comes in sound form. It is very difficult to learn what something sounds like if I am not able to hear sounds. It is very difficult to understand how to pronounce a word that I cannot hear how it sounds. But as a deaf person, they can be extremely visual and have an enormous facility to perceive and identify the codes of a sign language. In fact, deaf people have much better visual perception than hearing people. And hearing people who sign, have a better visual perception than hearing people who don’t know a sign language, crazy right? Our body is fantastic.
So it is very important to respect that natural physiology and the need of that individual. In the end, the key word for treating every person with a disability is respect! Not forgetting also to have natural curiosity and empathy to understand this individual. Obviously, you are not going to fill the person with questions about life and the reason for their choices, but try to understand more about their culture, about their environment. Nowadays there are many people with disabilities who talk about their daily lives and their culture on the Internet. Be it on youtube, instagram, tik tok etc. Consume their content and learn more and more how to live in this plural society that is the world. 🙂
Here is an official reference on Disability Terminology in PT-BR (Text from the House of Representatives):
Deaf brazilian youtubers reference: Léo Viturino, Gabriel Isaac from Isflocos and, to learn Libras, I recommend Sinais Diários de Libras.
