OK, let me rephrase it. I understand YOU don’t think those words are derogatory. But you believe that other people–lots of other people–do think those words are derogatory.
Except that turns out not to be the case. Yes, you can find a couple of people willing to be offended over anything and everything. So what?
In reality, black people are not offended by the word “black”. Blind people are not offended by the word “blind”. Deaf people are not offended by the word “deaf”.
The masses of people who you and the OP imagined were offended by these words don’t exist. They are figments of your imagination. You’re offended by imaginary people you invented in your own mind.
The OP questioned WHY blind and deaf are considered derogatory, but didn’t bother to ask WHETHER blind and deaf are considered derogatory. Since blind and deaf (and black) are not actually in fact considered derogatory, there’s no answer to the WHY question. It’s like asking why polar bears are purple, since it makes them stand out so much against the arctic snow and ice. And the answer is that polar bears aren’t purple, so the question makes no sense.
[QUOTE=NeonMadman;18657649 But times change, and the tradition in modern culture is to get offended as often as possible at as many things as possible. So terms that once were accepted as bland descriptors now become controversial.[/QUOTE]
People are no more offended. You just aren’t talking with only people in your own social circle. You can’t tune them out, and you can accidentally stumble on something you didn’t grow up with.
Not offending people unintentionally has always been a part of our social landscape. It’s just part of being a decent person. You just used to have more acceptable targets.
Though I have noticed a tendency of people who say this to have been the same people who said things that were offensive in the past but were just oblivious.
And, yes, that’s a nice way of saying that I’ve yet to meet someone who says this who doesn’t just have a disagreeable personality.