'Deaf and dumb' to be called 'hearing and speech impaired'

Delhi University is all set to adopt the phrase 'hearing and speech impaired' in place of 'deaf and dumb', and the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts will adhere to the guidelines which will be updated soon.

"The University is going to replace the term 'deaf and dumb' with 'hearing and Speech impaired' as a central guideline. It will be applicable to each and every department," a member of the Faculty of Music and Arts further told Millennium Post.

"Earlier, the University had replaced the term 'blind' with 'visually impaired'. Now, this change is being adopted for students who are deaf and wish to learn and study music," the member added.

The objective of this step was to erase the stigma associated with the term 'deaf and dumb'. The recommendation by the Academic Council to the Executive Council will likely be enforced in the upcoming session.

"Many students often feel offended on being called deaf or dumb. This step taken by the University covers many grounds: one of the reasons is to improve vocabulary, as well as the fact that 'hearing and speech impaired' sounds less offensive," said another faculty member.

A change in mentality and perspective was also the reason for the University to take up this measure. "Society and education in our University go hand in hand. Educational institutions always bring changes for the better. These developments need to be accommodated in the curriculum for students," said a professor of the Music and Arts department.