Deaf mum horrified by ‘dumb’ slur

Emma Chevron was horrified when she saw the receipt. Photo: Daniel Wilkins Source: News Limited

A DEAF woman was left horrified after being called "dumb" on a receipt from a Mandurah shop.

Emma Chevron, a mother-of-three who has been deaf since birth, said the incident showed many West Australians still didn't realise the term was "archaic" and derogatory.

"I was horrified to find the note referred to me as a 'dumb lady'," she told The Sunday Times.

"I was hurt and wanted to run away from that store and never go back.

"I'm not looking to cause problems or sue anyone, I'm looking to bring some awareness and to stop people continuing this archaic behaviour. It's just not on."

Ms Chevron – who works as a lecturer and a pastoral assistant at the Emmanuel Centre, an organisation helping people with disabilities – was handed the receipt at a Mandurah shop last month after converting her VHS tapes to DVD.

The receipt issued by Camera House Mandurah. Source: Supplied

The invoice read: "LADY IS DUMB PLEASE EMAIL WHEN DONE WITH TOTAL".

"It was very offensive and clearly an insult to the deaf culture," Ms Chevron said.

"I was left feeling bruised. No one should be degraded or brought down by a thoughtless person's comments."

Ms Chevron's friend of 15 years Paula Norman, a sign language interpreter, said too many people still referred to deaf people as "dumb".

"It is as offensive to some if not all culturally deaf people as the 'N-word' is to the general population," she said.

WA Deaf Society acting general manager Michaela Sloan said the term was often used "out of ignorance".

"The best way to address this ignorance is by educating organisations and their staff and encouraging them to participate in deaf awareness training," she said.

A spokeswoman for the shop said she was "deeply sorry" about the incident.

"The receipt was brought to my attention on June 3 and I immediately contacted the customer and was also involved in correspondence with members of her family," she said.

"There is not and never (has) been an intention to in any way upset anyone who visits our store.

"We do in fact place a very high emphasis on customer service and attempt to ensure that at all times everyone is treated with respect and are made to feel welcome."

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