Special Olympics, Best Buddies Join Forces To Ban The 'R-Word'

Nine-year-old Max is bright, funny and motivated. He also has cerebral palsy, a condition his mom fears will lead people to insult him with insensitive slurs.

Max's mom, Ellen Seidman, is one of more than 260,000 people who have pledged to put an end to the use of the demeaning word, "retarded." Now in its third year, the "Spread the Word to End the Word," campaign urges people to consider the term's connotation and advocate to ban it.

"Respectful and inclusive language is essential to the movement for the dignity and humanity of people with intellectual disabilities," the organizations announced in a press release. "However, much of society does not recognize the hurtful, dehumanizing and exclusive effects of the word 'retard(ed).'"

The campaign, -- a collaboration between the Special Olympics and Best Buddies -- celebrates its annual day of awareness on the first Wednesday of every March, according to the initiative's website. It's spread so far as to help spawn government legislation, according to CNN. President Barack Obama passed Rosa's Law in 2010, which eliminated the use of the words "retarded" and "retardation" in federal health, education and labor laws.

The bill also changed "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability" and refers to a "mentally retarded individual" as an "individual with an intellectual disability," the news outlet reports.

The Special Olympics and Best Buddies encourage advocates to partake in pledge drives, youth rallies and online activism, something with which Seidman is very familiar.

The magazine and blog editor frequently writes about the experience of raising a child with special needs on her blog, "Love That Max." Seidman shared a charming video of her son in her post Wednesday that offers a peek into the painful sting that such insulting words leave behind.

"Ultimately, this isn't just about a word -- it's about respect," Seidman wrote on her blog Wednesday. "It's about getting people to consider kids and adults with cognitive impairment equal members of society."

Comments

[Holly Gugel]

05:57 PM on 04/30/2013

God bless Tony Hawk for helping spread a message of tolerance, acceptance, and respect(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPVyonbTcyI).

[Jusus]

04:52 AM on 04/30/2013

I think intellectual disability is worst, however I will no longer use the "R" word.

[Cody Wandel]

04:48 PM on 03/13/2012

Now with the internet, and the cover of anonymity, I don't think a word can ever be banned successfully. Here, people can let it all hang out Being offensive is a way to try and hurt other peoples feelings from afar. Check out comments on anything about Muslims, immigrants, or anything like that to see what the mild mannered guy at the office really thinks. The more internet people hear that the word is offensive, the more they'll use it.

[Lenape105]

05:16 PM on 03/10/2012

I thought this was going to be a thread about banning that other R-word.

[rtgmath]

01:50 PM on 03/10/2012

We have a battle between denotation and connotation. The denotation of a word is what it actually means. The connotation of a word carries the baggage, the emotion or feeling or idea conveyed in addition to (or to the detriment of) the original meaning.

"Retarded" means that progress has been held back. In its own way, the word "retarded" could be less hurtful denotatively than "disabled" because "retarded" only talks about where one is, not what one could become. "Disabled" tends to imply that one's future is limited because there is no ability to become more.

I foresee a day when "disability" and "disabled" will be banned words as well. Any words describing this condition can -- and will by people without consideration ("emotively disabled"?) -- be twisted connotatively.

Perhaps we need to more fully communicate denotative meaning instead of relying on labels as a shortcut to communication. Otherwise the same mistake will continue to be made over and over again.

[MrsSmithTN]

01:44 PM on 03/10/2012

I use the word, not to describe someone with an intellectual disability, but to describe someone who chooses ignorance over knowledge. I think we should ban the word ban.

[Lenape105]

05:17 PM on 03/10/2012

So this does include the other R-word, since they do choose ignorance over knowledge.

[faithnj]

01:41 PM on 03/10/2012

I'm down. I would happily switch to using "Intellectual Disability," instead of retarded. If it helps support the dignity of 6.5 million people, then I'll do my part. It's no skin off of my back. Count this video as having at least made one more convert.

I'm sure there will be a lot of people who resist the change. Let's face it- it's easier to stick with the terms we all grew up with. But I don't want to be lazy, if it's at another person's expense. And if you think this video won't start a movement, well I have just taught my two small children to use "Intellectual disability," as well. I told them that as much as possible, we should use language that shows compassion and sensitivity to those who are hurting or have suffered-- whenever the opportunity is made available to us. Even if that just means describing others with words that have less "bite," it's worth the effort. After all, we'd want people to be sensitive about our feelings, if the shoe was on the other foot. And I've taught my children something about my values. Even if I die tomorrow, they know one thing about their mom-- Above many things, she'd want them to be kind, as much as it is humanly possible. And why not? We aren't rich, but still we've been blessed. Using less offensive words is no skin off of our backs. It's the least we can do.

[wilsoncombatgrl]

02:53 AM on 03/10/2012

Banning Schmanning....Education is the key and it seems contrived and controlling to ban a word that in and of itself is not the issue. I don't use that word but I would choose it over the pretentious and wordy "intellectual disability"....

[muracat]

12:45 AM on 03/10/2012

This isn't about banning a word- it's about educating the public that this word hurts. You have every "right" in the world to use it, but when you do you must take responsibility for your actions and realize you are spreading hurt for individuals with disabilities. Then it really becomes an issue of your character.

[LuckyKodama]

09:32 AM on 03/08/2012

And it wasn't a deragotary term until we made it so.

[LuckyKodama]

09:31 AM on 03/08/2012

The word "Retard" has been around a lot longer than the need or desire to change it.
Unfortunately the definition of "retard" is absolutely correct when describing mentally disabled people.
You'll have about as much luck with that word as the rest of America has with the "N" word.

[ItDoesntMatterAtAll]

09:27 AM on 03/08/2012

I think that the word should never be used to actually call anyone with a disability. It should be able to be used in normal conversations though as an insult, which is what it became anyways, to me, most words other people find offensive are just the same, shock inducing insult, no matter what it is, therefore I feel they all mean the same thing, which is what the person is trying to say probably about 95% of the time anyways, they just are being lazy & uncreative, regardless, using one of these words to classify someone as something, especially someone who can't defend themselves, at least well if at all, just makes you a horrible, sick person... who has the REAL disability.... Calling someone with an intellectual disability or maybe another medical problem that someone thinks is weird or funny the R word is one of the most insensitive and horrible things ever. I don't know how anyone could do that. Especially when so many intellectually disabled persons are so kind and sweet. I am so glad that Obama made Rosa's Law. I didn't know about it and it's yet another thing I commend him for. What a great thing to happen & it needed to happen!

[PirateJohn]

01:21 AM on 03/09/2012

Why is it such a bad word? Just because some people misuse it does nothing to change the fact that the word itself is completely innocuous. Ban the word and people will just make an insult out of "mentally challenged" or whatever other politically correct term serves as a replacement.

Banning a word is nothing more than a Band-Aid that serves no actual purpose.

[Faeriewing]

04:32 AM on 03/08/2012

"Banning" a word, no matter how noble it may seem, is still censorship. We can encourage the use of other, less offensive language. Banning goes against the 1st amendment.

[phillyguerrilla]

04:29 AM on 03/08/2012

If we start banning words, where do we stop? Will we start banning books and magazines? Will we start telling people when and where they're allowed to talk? I dont like being called something derogatory just as much as the next person doesnt, but making laws about it is completely un-Constitutional.

[ItDoesntMatterAtAll]

09:30 AM on 03/08/2012

I think the law having it be taken out of medical terms is a good one, as it is demeaning, but yes, banning the actual word and making a law about it is unconstitutional and wrong.

[PirateJohn]

01:21 AM on 03/09/2012

It is only as demeaning as the intent of the person using it.

[zacharyalexander]

01:58 AM on 03/08/2012

TIIIIIIIIMMMMAAAAY