The R Word

I was really excited to read in the paper today that our governor signed a bill into law to remove the "R" word from state and local boards of mental retardation and developmental disabilities (MRDD). They will be now called the "Board of Developmental Disabilities."

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people use the word "retarded" to describe people or situations or anything else. It's offensive to people with developmental disabilities and to me, who taught and loves students with cognitive delays/developmental disabilities. It has become so common in the English vocabulary, but there are actually groups who are working hard to stop people from using it in every day conversation (www.r-word.org).

So, while its existence in MRDD was not in itself offensive (it's still used in some special education settings), to me this is a big step in raising awareness that it's an inappropriate word to use in all other contexts, especially to casually call someone retarded.

Thanks for letting me stand on my soapbox for a minute!