Medically speaking, the word “retarded” describes those individuals with developmental delays, often linked to genetic conditions. Unfortunately, this word has crept into the slang vocabulary of teenagers everywhere, who use it in a derogatory way to describe people or actions that would otherwise be referred to as “stupid” or “dumb.” Most people don’t realize the harm they are doing, and don’t mean to insult people with mental disabilities. However, the prevalence and trivialization of this term has negatively impacted the group of people to which it is technically referring. Use of the word “retarded” in place of “stupid” further perpetuates a negative stereotype that people with mental disabilities are less valued members of society.
One organization, called the R-Word, has launched a campaign to eliminate this derogatory meaning of the word from the English vocabulary, called Spread the Word to End the Word. Through educating others about the harm this usage has on the disabled community, the R-Word hopes to empower those with disabilities and enlighten others about the positive impact this community has on our society.
Spread the Word to End the Word recently teamed up with Vanderbilt Best Buddies to host an event of the same name. This event was held in the SLC this past Wednesday and featured various acts from Best Buddies and Vanderbilt performance groups, like Original Cast. The event was truly incredible for all in attendance, who were given the chance to appreciate the amazing talents and abilities of those with disabilities, as well as educate themselves on the impact they can have by simply eliminating one word from their vocabulary.
This cause is especially important to me because my boyfriend has a little sister with Down syndrome, and she is unfortunately affected by this kind of hate speech used by students in her school. Before dating Justin, I was unaware of the terrible effect this word had on the community, because I had never been closely involved with anyone with disabilities. The first time I spoke to Angela on Skype, I did not know what to expect, but within a minute of our conversation, I fell in love with her warm heart. We talk to her fairly regularly, and I am always amazed at how clever, creative, and bubbly she is. Angela would never say anything mean about anyone else – even those who are insensitive towards her. She does not see herself any differently than anyone else and is quick to forgive those who do not understand this. She loves the things that any young teenage girl loves: Demi Lovato, matching outfits, and playing Wii with her family. I have taken the pledge to eliminate the R-word from my vocabulary, and I urge you to do the same!
Take the Pledge Here!:
http://www.r-word.org/Default.aspx