Lawmaker wants ‘deaf and dumb’ removed from Tennessee code

As American media continues to grow more progressive, so too are its governments and people becoming more aware of their surroundings. One example is in Tennessee. There, state representatives hope to remove the term “Deaf and Dumb” from the state code. The term is very insensitive towards the Deaf community. If the bill passes, the phrase is removed from the lawmaking bill. As Representative Jernigan said, “Language matters, it reflects on who you are. When you’re in a court system … because you are hard of hearing or cannot speak, you’re not dumb. That’s not a characteristic of having a disability.”

Read the full article here: https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-news/lawmaker-wants-deaf-and-dumb-removed-from-tennessee-code/