The R Word

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When you hear the word Retard. What image comes to mind?

Madeline Stuart, Super Model, has Down Syndrome

Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and inventor, has autism.

Albert Einstein, Physicist, had autism.

Devin, intellectually disabled

The R Word Problem

It was an actual clinical diagnosis.Its degrading and insulting.Its hurtful, painful and a form of bullying.There is a stigma with using the R word.Not a lot of respect towards people with disabilities.

Its not acceptable..

Spread the word to end the wordCreated in February 2009 by youth who attended the Special Olympics. Campaign in the US to encourage people to stop using the word retard.They advocate for the respect and dignity of people with intellectual disabilities.FX & MTV bleep out the use of the R word.

Best BuddiesFounded in 1989Found in most middle through high schools including colleges.Fosters one on one friendships with volunteers and someone with a disability.Provides social inclusion & job opportunities.Helps break down stigmas.

Rosas LawNamed after Rosa Marcellino who has Down syndrome.Signed by President Obama on October 5,2010.Removes all terms like Mentally Retarted and Mental Retardation from federal, health, education and labor laws.Replaces them with Intellectual disabled.

Who am I hurting?Not all people who use the word have anything against people who have disabilities.There are as many as 200 million people with intellectual disabilities worldwide.Intended to make their target seem smaller, less of a person.Its more hateful than racism, more hateful than sexism, more hateful than anything!

Who does it refer to?Any one with a cognitive disability.Any one with a neurological disability.Any one with chromosomal abnormality.

Whats the cost?It cost nothing to stop using this wordLanguage changes with time and so do people all it takes is one person to start change

Freedom of speech?Not trying to censor you or force political correctness on you, just think before you speak and if you say it just apologize and try not to use it again.

SeriousnessEvery single time you say it no matter how young or how old the person is you ARE affecting their self-esteem!

Eunice Kennedy Shriver said