No one likes to be referred to this way. In referring to people with challenges that are due to no fault of theirs, it has since become de rigueur to apply the most euphemistic words in the speaker’s/writer’s vocabulary.
Femi Gbajabiamila, the lawmaker representing Surulere I Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, did something noble on Tuesday: he spent some good time with a section of the society’s downtrodden.
However, he shot himself in the foot, sort of, with a gaffe that didn’t escape the eagle eyes of SaharaReporters.
“Few hours ago I received the representatives of Deaf and Dumb Assoc. at my residence. They were led by Mr. Ademola Bakare who spoke to me through an interpreter. They requested for equal attention and prioritization in delivery of some of our projects in Surulere 1 fed const,” he tweeted.
“In turn, I promised to assist as many of them as I can. I also learnt about the [love] sign used by these special people.”
Really?
Did he really say they were “deaf and dumb”?
No one likes to be referred to this way. In referring to people with challenges that are due to no fault of theirs, it has since become de rigueur to apply the most euphemistic words in the speaker’s/writer’s vocabulary.
So, Gbajabiamila did not meet with the “deaf and dumb” on Tuesday; actually those he hosted were “people with speech and hearing impairments” — or anything else close to that.
Not to slate the legislator but only to point it out to someone out there who didn’t know!