How many of you have been called a retard? I know I have. How many of you have called someone retarded? I know I have. How many of you have used the phrase, “what, are you mental or something?” I know I have. How many of you have thought twice about saying or calling someone a retard before actually saying it? . . .
The Special Olympics and Best Buddies organizations amongst other disability organizations have teamed up to combat this “R” word. Both organizations believe that this word is hurtful, and I fully agree with them.
How is this word hurtful? Number one, it was offensive. It is offensive to those people who have an intellectual disability. It makes them feel bad and makes them feel apart and different from society. Being classified as an individual with an intellectual disability sets them apart from the world, they are their own little group. When you called someone a “retard” you are throwing them into this group. What these organizations are trying to say is that these people do not want to be thought of as a separate group in society, they want to feel a part of society.
Number two, using the “R” word is considered hate speech. Why? Because by calling someone who does not have an intellectual disability you are throwing them into a category in which they are not, in other words you are degrading people into something that they are not. In addition to this, you make the people who do have intellectual abilities feel more apart from the world and different. They just want to be people.
The term mental retardation was originally used by medical doctors as a classification. It has now broadened into society as an insult towards people who have intellectual disabilities. Society has begun to use the “R” word in place of calling people dumb or stupid. Using the “R” word is more derogatory and hurtful.
In 2004, the Special Olympics International Board of Directors adopted the phrase “intellectual disabilities” and no longer uses the phrase “mental retardation”. On October 5, 2010, President Barak Obama singed into law via Senate Bill 2781 Rosa’s Law. This law removes the phrases “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” from all federal health policies. Federal Health organizations are now required to use “people first language”. People-first language is using the phrase “intellectual disability”. By using people-first language we acknowledge that those people who do have a disability are truly people, just like an other person in the world. Just because they have a disability does not mean that they are impaired from being a fully functional individual.
The goal of the Special Olympics and Best Buddies as well as other disability organizations is to focus on the positive. Do not call those who have intellectual disabilities retarded or a retard, instead call them brave, call them brilliant, call them a leader, call them a captain, call them an artist, and call them a hero. Let them know that they are not let out of this world and that they are truly special human beings.
I invite you to join me in combating this “R” word. Get the message out there how hurtful it is to call someone retarded or a retard. Honestly, if your intention is to let someone know how unintelligent that they are being, call them stupid or dumb, for stupid and dumb are the correct terms to be used in this situation. Actually, how about we begin to learn from our mistakes and not make it known how unintelligent someone is being, but instead try to help them become a better individual. I do not think that people realize how hurtful this word is. This word effects all of those people with intellectual disabilities. These disabilities include: ADD, ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, Autism, Down’s Syndrome, Dyslexia, Epilepsy, Trisomy, and Tourette’s Syndrome amongst others.
Visit: http://www.r-word.org/r-word-take-action.aspx to sign the pledge to combat the “R” word. I know that I am going to do my best to refrain this word from my vocabulary. People say that actions speak louder than words, however in some instances words can speak louder than one’s actions.
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