Associated Press – June 1, 2009 5:24 PM ET

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Alabama has dropped the phrase “mental retardation” from the official title of the state agency that assists the mentally ill and disabled.

The Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation is now the Department of Mental Health on its Web page. The Legislature this year approved a measure dropping the phrase, and Gov. Bob Riley signed the bill May 14.

Commissioner John Houston said the department welcomed the change because the old terminology carries a stigma.

The department renamed its Division of Mental Retardation Services to the Division of Intellectual Disability Services last year. But it took legislation to change the name since the agency was named in state law.

The legislation also replaces references to “mentally retarded” with “people with an intellectual disability.”

Bill would ban some words from state statutes

06:46 PM CDT on Wednesday, April 1, 2009

By CLARA TUMA
KVUE News
http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/txcn/austin/stories/040109kvue_r-word-cb.93001b6b.html

A bill in the Texas Legislature would ban the words “retarded,” “disabled” and “handicapped” from all state statutes and resolutions — past and present.

Senate Bill 1395, by Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo), would require what it calls more “person first respectful” language.

The ARC of Texas, an advocacy group representing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, supports the bill because it says words like “retarded” are now used as slurs.

“The use of it has become so derogatory that it’s turned the term into something that’s hurtful and disrespectful,” said Chris Rodriguez, director of chapter services.

The ARC itself has eliminated the word “retarded” from its name. For many years, the group called itself the Association for Retarded Citizens, but now calls itself the ARC.

“As that word became more and more derogatory it was required that we change and just simply become the ARC,” Rodriguez said.

The bill would ban the use of eight terms in all state statutes and resolutions. They are: disabled, developmentally disabled, mentally disabled, mentally ill, mentally retarded, handicapped, cripple and crippled.

It would replace those terms with these: persons with disabilities, persons with developmental disabilities, persons with mental illness and persons with intellectual disabilities.

Should governments ban the R-word?
By ANDREA BALL
Cox Newspapers
http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/18126

AUSTIN, Texas — Claudia Cardenas has heard the “R-word” her whole life.

Ugly retard. Stupid retard. Slow retard.

She’s been taunted in school cafeterias, classrooms and hallways; by relatives, classmates and strangers; at home, in public and in front of friends. And it always hurt.

“I’ve been called retarded all my life,” said Cardenas, a 39-year-old Beeville, Texas, woman who has her own apartment, volunteers regularly and wants to start a business that is an advocate for people with disabilities. “It made me feel like I was nobody.”

It’s been decades since advocates began fighting to end derogatory language about people with mental disabilities.

Today, some once-common terms used to describe them — “feebleminded,” “Mongoloid,” and “imbecile” — are all but gone. But the word “retarded” remains.

Now the R-word, as disabilities advocates call it, is the target of a national campaign to eliminate its use in both government and casual conversation. Through legislation and public relations campaigns, they’re trying to change the country’s vocabulary.

Texas Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, is pushing a bill that would ban terms including “mental retardation” in all state statutes and resolutions and replace them with such phrases as “intellectual disabilities.” The Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation Center plans to rename itself without the phrase “mental retardation.”

The national Special Olympics kicked off in March the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign with 700 rallies across the country. It sent buttons, T-shirts, stickers and wristbands to 100 high schools across the country.

And last fall, Special Olympics Texas began a $150,000 campaign — which included 105 billboards across the state — that said “Erase the R-word.” The effort was primarily funded through a grant and in-kind donations.

“This is a word that carries hate,” said Margaret Larsen, president of Special Olympics Texas. “This is a word that carries hurt. It’s degrading and painful.”

Since about 1900, the phrase “mental retardation” has been used by doctors to describe a disability marked by lower-than-average intelligence and limited daily living skills. It is still used in many state and federal statutes across the country.

But by the 1960s, the phrase and its variations were used to ridicule people with disabilities. Susan Eason, executive director of the Arc of the Capital Area, which helps people with mental disabilities, has seen that cruelty leveled at her 33-year-old daughter, who has mental disabilities and uses a wheelchair.

Once, Eason said, she was wheeling her daughter through a grocery store when a stranger snapped, “Get out of the way, retard.”

Since the late 1980s, advocates have promoted “people-first language,” in which phrases such as “the mentally retarded” are changed to “people with mental retardation.”

But it was the 2008 movie “Tropic Thunder,” which routinely dropped the R-word, that triggered widespread outcry by advocacy groups.

“We decided enough is enough,” said Kirsten Suto Seckler, director of Global Brand Marketing and Awareness for the national Special Olympics. “We did a public protest of the movie.”

Since launching the campaign, the organization has gathered more than 40,000 online pledges through r-word.org from people vowing to stop using the word in everyday speech.

People with disabilities prefer “intellectual disabilities,” said 38-year-old Consuelo Castillo of Round Rock, Texas.

astillo, who has an intellectual disability, has a son and wants to take classes at Austin Community College so she can work in an office.

“I know we’re a little bit slow and we have a disability,” she said. “But you know, to us, we don’t have labels. We’re just human beings.”

Advocates have also pressed the issue with the media, encouraging reporters to avoid labels such as “the disabled” and “the mentally retarded.” Last year, The Associated Press replaced “mentally retarded” in its stylebook with “mentally disabled.”

The Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation Center, a quasi-governmental organization that was created in 1967 and provides services for people with mental disabilities, expects to unveil its new name by September. Officials expect that change, which would include business cards, stationery and legal expenses, to cost $13,000.

“I think words matter,” said David Evans, the agency’s executive director. “There are instinctual or guttural reactions to words. … We want to get away from this 40-year-old name and catch back up with the language.”

Political and social movements can be powerful tools in changing the language in casual conversation, said Sarah Wagner, a University of Texas graduate student working on her doctorate in linguistics. She said some people think that if they’re not specifically talking about people with mental disabilities, it’s OK to use the R-word and using more sensitive language is silly.

But words affect the way we see the world, Wagner said. And many people are willing to change their language when they see how it hurts others.

“I think a lot of the time it’s education,” she said. “People don’t want to say things that hurt others and when they hear that it does, they actively work to change it.”

Castillo, of Round Rock, is trying to speed up that process. She routinely speaks to state legislators and testifies before committees to help them understand issues facing people with mental disabilities.

“It feels good,” she said. “You know why? Because they’re listening to us.”

When we began The ‘r’ Word Campaign Web site in April of 2007 there was no one speaking out nationally in any forum about the ‘r’ word or the attitude of prejudice and discrimination towards people with disabilities it perpetuates. We began the site as a result of two unrelated events that made us decide it was time to stand-up, speak out, and empower anyone offended by this word by letting them know that it was okay for them to do the same.

The first event occurred after our family became separated while in a Walmart store with our daughter with disabilities and her 8 year old sister. Our younger daughter had stopped to look at some clothes while we walked on with her sister who has significant disabilities. A short time later our younger daughter came running up to us crying. She would not tell us until after we had left the store that a couple of men had walked past her and while looking at her sister said, “I don’t know why they let people like that live.” We were out of earshot and did not hear the comment.

The second event in April 2007 was a joking racial slur by national radio disc jockey Don Imus referring to Rutgers basketball players which provoked national civil rights leaders to step forward in outrage. It was at that point we realized there was no one, no national civil rights leaders, no one at all standing up and providing a voice against the daily slurs that occur to people with disabilities. It was at that point The ‘r’ Word Campaign was formed. http://stopsayingretard.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/pressrelease-1.pdf

At the time there were several other small voices out there like pebbles thrown in a pond creating tiny ripples. Jenna Glatzer had created her ‘My Words Matter Pledge’ in 2004 http://www.jennaglatzer.com/pledge_to_stop_the_word_retard.htm and Soeren Palumbo had given his first high school speech earlier that year http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoqaNG0Ozqc Soeren’s speech grew to receive coverage in several TV stations along the east coast.

Then in August of 2008 the movie, “Tropic Thunder” was released and the national Special Olympics started their R-Word site and picked up national television coverage through the organized protests of their chapters, at that point our Web site had been on-line for well over a year. We were later told by a Special Olympics publicist, “(The Special Olympics)… “R-Word” pledge site was something that we pulled together quite quickly in response to the Tropic Thunder film.”

Quite frankly we were happy to see the Special Olympics bring their vast resources into this campaign. Our campaign was and is a grass-roots effort to bring awareness to this hateful word and empower people to stand-up and say something. Although we receive many requests for stickers, buttons and posters from schools and teachers we have limited funding to provide very much. Everything we have comes from our own pockets or from what few donations we receive. But we have been able to provided many materials on our Web site for downloading free of charge.

The Special Olympics, like the National Down Syndrome Society and the National Autism Association, has a specific population that they serve. They do have a higher ‘brand’ recognition in that they have organized chapters in most every state and hold annual events that involve thousands of schools and agencies raising millions in donations through these events. There are, however, many hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities who for whatever reason, either too young, too old, not able or not interested, have never participated in Special Olympic events.

Although through their vast resources they have been able to bring the ‘r’ word to national attention, and we share in that message with them, our message is somewhat different in that we want to focus on all people with disabilities and the prevailing attitudes against them.

You see, it’s not just about a simple word. It’s about the hate and discrimination that is perpetuated by it. For instance, there was more national outrage over the abuse of Michael Vick’s dogs http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/magazine/12/22/vick.dogs/index.html than about this story coming out of Corpus Christi Texas http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6347603.html in which staff organized a ‘Fight Club’ where residents with intellectual disabilities were forced to fight in front of those who were there to take care of them or suffer worse abuses if they refused. The fights are thought to have gone on for more than a year.

Even now we periodically receive hate comments like this recent one;
“i pledge the next time i see a retard i will call him a retard because thats what he (or she) is. This is because they are wasting the worlds money by doing nothing but sitting around and drooling. All retarts should be shot because they contribute nothing and just waste our money by feeding them ect. I hope i dont offend or angry any of you… retards.”

As long as this attitude persists, we welcome all efforts by the Special Olympics and anyone else to see that it does not evolve to the next level on the Cycle of Prejudice and Hate …like it did for the Jewish people under Hitler… like we have seen it happen in our own country in the examples of a black man dragged behind a pick-up truck or a gay man tied to a fence post and beaten to death (both major news stories in recent years).

So our ‘r’ Word Campaign stands to speak for those who can not, empower those who don’t believe they have a voice and to help them see that others are standing up and speaking out… that things are changing… and that our words do make a difference.

In the end the ‘r’ Word Campaign is not about national protests or media campaigns, it is a much more personal effort than that. When a person stands up to tell someone else that this word offends them, it becomes a matter of respect.

And that is what we have said from the beginning. It’s about telling the people we meet in our day-to-day lives that this word hurts when we hear it and we would appreciate it if you would not use it in that way any longer.

It’s not about freedom of speech, its simply about respect.

Much has been accomplished in the last two years but there is so much more to do. If you have not already we invite you to join in this effort. And if you already have, we thank you and hope you will continue to do so for many years to come.

Sincerely,

Rick & Wanda Felty
The “R” Word Campaign
www.therword.org

NOTE: The purpose of this site is for the promotion of the ‘r’ Word Campaign, any comments that do not reflect that effort, or do not include a valid e-mail address will not be approved.

Oklahoma House of Representatives
Media Division March 31, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: State Rep. Kris Steele
Capitol: (405) 557-7345

High School Senior Lobbies Legislature to “Stop the R-Word”

OKLAHOMA CITY – Shawnee High School Senior Alie Walsh lobbied state lawmakers today, giving a speech on the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representatives urging them to help prevent the use of derogatory terms to describe people with disabilities.

Alie, whose older sister Jenny has a disability, specifically urged legislators to discourage the use of the words “retarded” or “retard” as derogatory terms.   “To me to hear someone use the word ‘retarded’ as a putdown just doesn’t line up, because I would never think of something that describes Jenny as a putdown,” Alie said. She noted her sister was the prom queen at Shawnee and participates in competitive swimming and dancing activities.

Alie said lawmakers and other adults can help by simply being good role models. “When kids hear teachers or role models use this word, they think it’s okay to use it – and it’s not okay,” Alie said.

Gov. Brad Henry also issued a proclamation in support of the effort, declaring March 31st to be “Spread the Word to End the ‘r’ Word Day” in Oklahoma. That proclamation declares that “when the words ‘retard’ or ‘retarded’ are used without thinking to mean something stupid or bad, it is hurtful to people who have disabilities and the people who love them” and it “perpetuates prejudice and discrimination towards people with disabilities.”

 State Rep. Kris Steele, who invited Alie to speak to the House, praised her efforts. “Alie has shown great poise and maturity in fighting prejudice,” said Steele, R-Shawnee. “I believe it is incumbent upon us as elected officials to do our best to lead by example and I appreciate Alie reminding us of that responsibility.”

-30-

PHOTO CAPTION: Alie Walsh, a senior at Shawnee High School, speaks to the members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives as Rep. Kris Steele looks on.

March 31 is “Spread the Word to End the ‘r’ Word Day”

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry has proclaimed March 31, 2009 as “Spread the Word to End the ‘r’ Word Day” in Oklahoma. This day brings awareness that using the words “retard” or “retarded” to mean something stupid or bad is hurtful to people who have disabilities and the people who love them.

Not only does it perpetuate prejudice and discrimination towards people with disabilities, but simply because when its used in an ugly way this word is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur or hate speech.

According to the 2005 U.S. Census Bureau, 604,245 Oklahomans, 19.0% age 5 and over, have some form of disability. Approximately 50,000 people with developmental disabilities live in Oklahoma. This group is also the most inclusive and diverse, it includes; all ages, genders, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations and socioeconomic levels.

Many schools and students in the Oklahoma City area will be participating in efforts to bring awareness on this day.

For more information on “Spread the Word to End the ‘r’ Word Day” or to find out more about this grass roots effort to raise awareness that people with intellectual disabilities and their families are offended by the use of the words “retard” or “retarded” when used to describe something negative. Visit The “R” Word Campaign Website at: http://www.therword.org

Download Proclamation (1.5M PDF)

An editorial cartoon by Mike Lester, Rome News Tribune, has sparked outrage among groups working to bring awareness that the ‘r’ Word is hurtful to people who have disabilites and those who love them.  The syndicated cartoon which is appearing in papers across the country depicts Obama in a dunk tank with Tim Geithner throwing balls at him.  The caption reads, “You throw like a r——!”    The cartoon may be seen here:
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/68374/

Use of the ‘r’ word in this way not only perpetuates prejudice and discrimination towards people with disabilities, but is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur or hate speech.

To voice your complaint to Mr. Lester, who also does children’s books;

 The Mike Lester Studio
Art by Mike Lester
301 E. Fifth Ave.
Rome, Georgia, 30161
706 234 7733

PHONE AND FAX:
706-234-7733
http://www.mikelester.com

mlester101@comcast.net

Or his publisher Otis Raybon: ORaybon@npco.com

Rome News-Tribune
305 East Sixth Avenue
P.O. Box 1633
Rome, GA 30161

To voice your complaint to the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists; http://editorialcartoonists.com/contact.cfm

The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
3899 North Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110

His cartoons are syndicated nationally, which means they are distributed to papers nationwide,  including those in your home town by

United Features Syndicate
212-293-8603
customerservice@unitedmedia.com

http://www.unitedfeatures.com/?title=Bio:Mike%20Lester%20Editorial%20Cartoons

LETTER TO THE EDITOR IF YOU FIND THIS CARTOON IN YOUR PAPER:

Dear Editor,

Recently your paper ran a cartoon by Mike Lester depicting President Obama at a dunk tank dodging balls thrown by Tim Geithner with the caption “You throw like a retard!”.  It is unfortunate that your paper is unaware words such as “retard” and ‘retarded’ are hurtful to those with disabilities and those who love them.

Not only does it perpetuate prejudice and discrimination towards people with disabilities, but simply because when used in an ugly way this word is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur or hate speech.  So on behalf of  those you’ve insulted by running this cartoon we would like to ask for your help in spreading awareness that words do matter.

We ask you and your readers to help us Spread the Word to End the Word and help make a stand against a word that has gained popularity in culture, but is offensive to so many. The ‘r’ word or “retard” has found a place in common language and seems to be accepted by so many.

The word hurts, even if it is not directed at a person with intellectual disabilities. For too long, people with intellectual disabilities have had to overcome the challenges society has put forth through stereotypes. It is time for a change and you and your readers can help.

Help drive much needed change that will bring acceptance and inclusion to our community – don’t say the R-word, and when you hear it being used, stand up and say something about it.  It is time for those of us offended by the thoughtless use of the word “retard” or “retarded” to let others know this hurts people with disabilities and those who know and love them.

Sincerely,

President Barack Obama’s appearance on the Jay Leno Show last evening has been hailed as a historic event. It is unfortunate however that this event was marred by unthoughtful comment when he compared his bowling to being in the Special Olympics.

He was quick to apologize after the fact and the Special Olympics was quick to accept offering to “have some Special Olympic athletes visit the White House to bowl or play basketball.”

What of those with developmental disabilities who are not a part of the Special Olympics? Isn’t this more than just a disparaging remark about a volunteer organization? Simply put, these types of comments and this way of thinking strikes to the very core of what the ‘r’ Word Campaign stands for.

The damage has been done, as what was an off-hand comment by a popular president has now justified much of the negativity and hate that surrounds the use of the ‘r’ Word.

Thousands of advocates, family members and individuals with disabilities have been working tirelessly for years to bring awareness that this way of thinking about people with disabilities is not only hurtful but it perpetuates the Cycle of Hate.

We understand that you were attempting to poke some fun at yourself, Mr. President, but we ask would you have made the same comparison to yourself and the poverty poor, or disabled veterans, or people suffering from HIV/AIDS?

You see, its about respect.

Please share your comments about this issue with Mr. Obama, http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/. Let him know that this issue is bigger than the Special Olympics and that his insensitive comment perpetuates predjudice and discrimination towards people with disabilities.

FREE full-sized (12×18), full-color poster for teens and older ready for you to download and take to your printer. To download right-click on link and ’save as’ to your computer. This is 1.8M, please allow time to download.
http://stopsayingretard.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/spreadthewordposter-sr.jpg

FREE Low-Res PDF Poster

FREE full-sized (12×18), full-color poster for adolescents and younger ready for you to download and take to your printer. To download right-click on link and ’save as’ to your computer. This is 1.8M, please allow time to download. 
http://stopsayingretard.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/spreadthewordposter-el.jpg

FREE Low-Res PDF Poster

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Spread the Word to End the Word

Spread the Word To End the Word Awareness Day

It is time to “Spread the Word to End the Word” and on 31 March 2009 Special Olympics is calling for a national day of awareness for America to stop and think about their use of the R-word. That R-word is not “recession,” but something more hurtful and painful – “retard.”  

Most people don’t think of this word as hate speech, but that’s exactly what it feels like to millions of people with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends. This word is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur.

Spread the Word to End the Word will raise the consciousness of society about the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the R-word and encourage people to pledge to stop using it.  America will be asked to declare their support for more respectful and inclusive language, specifically that referring to those with intellectual disabilities.

Created by young people with and without intellectual disabilities, Spread the Word to End the Word is one element of Special Olympics’ vision of a world where everyone matters, where everyone is accepted and, most importantly, where everyone is valued. Leading the way in promoting acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics opposes prejudice and discrimination, continuously working to dispel the negative stereotypes associated with this population — the use of the R-word being one such stereotype. In a world that has worked to eliminate pejorative racial and ethnic language such as the “N word,” among others, the R-word is gaining popularity.

On 31 March, young people across the country will lead local efforts to raise awareness and among peers and the community to vow not to use the R-word. Actor and activist John C. McGinley, of the hit show “Scrubs,” is helping with this effort by making national media appearances on behalf of the campaign. On 2 March 2009, he appeared on “The Bonnie Hunt Show.”

“Spread The Word to End The Word” Day resouces, follow this link: http://www.specialolympics.org/stw_resources.aspx

Feel free to use the following Sample Proclamation in announcing a “Spread the Word to End the Word” Awareness day for your community or state:

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, according to the 2005 U.S. Census Bureau, 604,245 Oklahomans, 19.0% age 5 and over, have some form of disability; and

WHEREAS, people with disabilities constitute our nation’s largest minority group, almost one in five; and

WHEREAS, this group is also the most inclusive and most diverse group: all ages, genders, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic levels are represented; and

WHEREAS, when the words “retard” or “retarded” are used without thinking to mean something stupid or bad it is hurtful to people who have disabilities and the people who love them; and

WHEREAS, it perpetuates prejudice and discrimination towards people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, this word is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur or hate speech;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BRAD HENRY, Governor of the State of Oklahoma, (OR YOUR MAYOR, CITY OFFICIAL OR PRINCIPAL) do hereby proclaim

March 31, 2009, as

“Spread the Word to End The “r” Word Day” in the State of Oklahoma, and encourage all Oklahomans to Spread the Word throughout their communities and schools encourage everyone to stop saying the “r” word.