The word deaf is an umbrella term used to describe people with all degrees of deafness. For profoundly Deaf people in the UK, British Sign Language (BSL) is usually their first or preferred language. The capital D is not a typing error – it is used to denote the pride that people have in their deafness.

Should deaf have a capital D?

The word deaf is used to describe or identify anyone who has a severe hearing problem. Sometimes it is used to refer to people who are severely hard of hearing too. We use Deaf with a capital D to refer to people who have been deaf all their lives, or since before they started to learn to talk.

What do you call someone who is deaf and mute?

Deaf and dumb (or even just dumb, when applied to deaf people who do not speak) is an archaic term that is considered offensive. Many Deaf people do not use a spoken language, thus they are technically mute. The word dumb has at least an archaic meaning that means mute.