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Illustration by Jamey Christoph
Nine-year old Rosa Marcellino did not know much about the history of the word “retarded.” She just knew that she didn’t like it.
But Rosa has Down syndrome, so her school in Edgewater, Md., labeled her as “mentally retarded.”
That did not sit well with Rosa’s family.
“We’re not allowed to use the words [mentally retarded] at my house,” says her brother, Nick, 14. “It would be just like saying a curse word. We’re also not allowed to use other words that are hurtful.”
Rosa’s family worked to pass a law to stop schools from using “mentally retarded” on official records. Rosa’s mom, Nina, met with one of Maryland’s U.S. senators. Rosa’s sisters Gigi, 12, and Maddie, 10, got petitions signed. Nick spoke in front of Maryland’s General Assembly.
Last October, the Marcellino family’s hard work paid off. President Barack Obama signed “Rosa’s Law.” It keeps the phrase “mentally retarded” off official documents. During the law-signing ceremony President Obama quoted Nick. “What you call people is how you treat them,” he said. “If we change the words, maybe it will be the start of a new attitude toward people with disabilities.”
Schools have been using the phrase “mentally retarded” for a long time. The term first came into use in the late 1800s. “Mentally retarded” was a medical description for people with intellectual disabilities. That means they could not learn as easily as others. At first, the phrase was not considered hurtful. However, over time the word “retarded” became an insult.
Of course, Rosa’s Law cannot keep people from using “retarded” in insulting ways. That will take time and effort. But the law lets people know how hurtful that word can be to those with intellectual disabilities. In 2008, the Special Olympics began working to stop the use of the “r-word” by launching the website www.r-word.org. At this site, people can pledge to stop using the r-word.
“Respect, value and dignity—everyone deserves to be treated this way, including people with intellectual disabilities,” says Dr. Timothy P. Shriver, chairman and CEO of Special Olympics. “Once you open your heart to people with intellectual disabilities you are going to want to do more.”
Comments
Any word that is used will
Any word that is used will come to mean the same thing over time. The only solution is to educate people because continually changing the phrases is expensive and confusing and over time is not effective. If everyone were to volunteer or spend time with people with challenges then the would realize there is more to the individual than their disability. Special or exceptional just does not make a difference to me as descriptive words. What has happened is that the students have encountered people who use the words in a derogatory way then started associating the words negatively. I think this will happen with some people regardless of how you educate them.
Isn't this the same President
Isn't this the same President who less than 2 years ago on late night TV equated his own poor bowling to "special olympics bowling?" Man, Americans are forgetful....oops! What I meant to say was that 'Americans suffer from short-term memory deficits.'
So what terms are allowed to
So what terms are allowed to be used instead???
Federal documents now use
Federal documents now use "intellectually disabled."
First be very certain that
First be very certain that you recognize the person. They are not a disabled person, but rather a person with a disability. The former defines them by their disability the latter by their personhood. My granddaughter experiences physical and cognitive deficits, but she is not her disabilities. She has physical and intellectual disabilities, but to define her by those is to miss and negate the essence of her being.
As for the r word, it has evolved into a hurtful insult. When it is used to insult someone, in my family's presence, it hurts us, because you have made a negative comparison, that swipes at our beautiful, loving, innocent child. Maybe if everyone stops using that comparison, in a hundred years, it will go back to its original meanings.
We must work to educate the
We must work to educate the ignorant about disabilities because regardless of the word they'll always view special or retarded as crazy. I think that calling them special is the most retarded thing to do. I would never want to be treated as special cause i know it means stupid. ask any body who is ignorant, special means "crazy".
It is more acceptable to
It is more acceptable to recognize the person first. Terms like person with a learning difficulty or intellectual disability are more acceptable.