This essay explaines how deaf people used to be classified as mentally retarded, disscusses why people are deaf and how society has changed towards deaf people.
Not Mentally Challenged
Until the Middle Ages, the 1600 century and up to the 1800s, deaf people, (now defined as hearing impaired), where not integrated into the society. The lack of knowledge about a deaf person's capability, caused families to keep the handicapped person locked up in the house, hide them from friends and the rest of the society. Reasons where embarrassment, shame and denial.
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