Ban the r word

David over at Growing Up with a Disability wrote about a hurtful experience overhearing a health care professional using the "r" word yesterday. He wrote:

It is so disheartening that this slur is so ingrained in our culture that even well-meaning professionals who work with PWDs, casually through their language, degrade and dehumanize the very people that they support with their services.

It seems that working to abolish the slur, “r#tard,” is like climbing a long stubborn mountain. It seems impossible to get to rid of a word that is so deep in our culture. Fighting dehumanization is wearying and exhausting. And yet I believe we all must keep at it. We must keep advocating. The only way to we can really change the culture and end the discrimination is to bring these issues to light.

I've added a logo to the side of my blog if anyone would like to help spread the word on their blog or site. The "r" word campaign says:

Some people have mental retardation. While mental retardation is not a bad word, when used to describe someone or something you think is bad it becomes another thoughtless hurtful word. People with mental retardation are not bad, their condition is not bad, the prejudice and discrimination to people with mental retardation is BAD…and WRONG! Please stop using the word ‘retard’, it hurts people with disabilities.

The "r" word was used to me some weeks ago by an adult and you can read about that here.

I wish more people would stop and think before they speak and would teach their children the same. Please tell them:

1.The use of the r word treats people with disabilities as if they have no feelings, dehumanizing them which is against the basic tenets of our faith.
2.It's not a cool word.
3. It's not funny to make fun of people with disabilities.
4. Minimizing peoples' feelings is wrong - it tends to make others smaller than us or "less than", rather than promoting an atmosphere of equality and inclusion


Some of the people I've loved the most in my life have or had cognitive disabilities. Decent, good, loving and, yes, gifted people who have much to teach if we listen.