Airline apologizes for note on deaf couple's bag-referring to the pair as "deaf and dumb."

[The Straight Story]

DALLAS (AP) — A deaf couple is upset over a note that an American Airlines employee attached to one of their bags, referring to the pair as "deaf and dumb."

James Moehle and Angela Huckaby were returning home to Houston from a vacation in Hawaii when one of their bags was misplaced by the airline. When it was delivered later, a handwritten note attached to the bag read, "Please Text Deaf And Dumb."

Moehle's mother, Kaye Moehle, said the note was "outrageous and cruel and unnecessary."

Airline spokesman Casey Norton said Friday that the employee who wrote the note did not intend to insult anyone and will go through sensitivity training.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/airline-apologizes-note-deaf-couples-bag

[edgineered]

1. A simple comma may have changed their interpretation of the note. nt

[goldent]

2. I did some googling and I'm not sure what the correct terminology is

In this case, it would have been sufficient to just say "deaf" which is ok. There is a term "deaf-mute" but that is also considered offensive by some.

[SheilaT]

3. What I found so astonishing about this story is

that I'd thought the term "deaf and dumb" became outmoded at least thirty years ago. Maybe more like forty.

Unfortunately, a lot of people never pay attention to changing terminology. On a less offensive basis, the term "stewardess" got replaced a good forty years ago by "flight attendant". You can make me crazy by calling someone who serves passengers on board an airplane by the term "stewardess". I keep on asking, "What rock have you been living under for four decades?"

Some people do not learn anything new after they are bout ten or so.