In our Adaptive PE class we were speaking about the “R” word. Many of us had strong opinions about its usage. I know from my own experience that I do not like the word because of its offensive nature, but I feel like whether you say the R-word, challenged, disabled or special, it means the same thing.
Special Olympics began a campaign to eliminate the words “retard” and “retarded” back in 2004, and this article shows the NBA players also backing the campaign. A strong argument to eradicate the word is that words matter! They can be very offensive and hurtful and using the R-word is a prime example of narrow mindedness. Another blog article shows that legislation in some states is now starting to eradicate the R-word. So on the one hand there is the argument that words matter and we should not use or include offensive language in our vocabulary. The “n” word for example would never be associated with organisations and legislation nowadays so the “r” word should not be either. On the other hand, the cost of changing old legislation to eradicate the R-word would be extremely high and many organisations would not be in favour of this. Also changing the word does not necessarily change the attitude. People will find new ways to say the same hateful things so some could argue will changing the word eradicate the problem?
So our questions to you are what is your opinion on the use of the R-word? And do you think changing the word will help change peoples’ attitude?
I do not believe it is a matter of changing the word to get rid of the negative connotation surrounding it. I believe that whatever word or phrase we use to describe people with disabilities, the ignorant population will use it in a negative light. I believe the way to stop people from using words to describe people with intellectual disabilities negatively is to educate people. The public needs to understand people with disabilities and understand that they have many capabilities and abilities. They can accomplish so much, and if the general public would recognize those abilities they would be less likely to use the terminology negatively and to mean someone who is stupid.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that eliminated that certain word will solve this problem. No matter what word is used to replace it, people will give that a negative connotation as well. The only way to stop this situation, in my opinion, is to make sure that we don't let the R-word become negative. If we stop using it that way and make sure we explain to others the appropriate way to use it, then it will be fine - whether the word is retarded or special. It's all about the attitude and the way it's presented. We need to just make sure we're doing our part to correct the negativity as much as we can, but understand that it's not the word that is negative it's the way people are using it. Therefore, discontinuing use of the word is not the answer.
ReplyDeleteI think it is great that so much effort has been put into raising awareness about this offensive word. However, I do not think that eliminating the "R" word, will solve the problem. It really is just side-stepping the problem. If we get rid of the "R" word, the uninformed population will just find another word to describe these wonderful people who happen to have a disability. The people who use this word in an insulting way do not realize how offensive it is to everyone around them. Getting rid of the word will not change people's attitudes. I think the NBA article was great because it lets people know that there are individuals out there who are trying to change the public's view on this word. So many people feel that it is 'just a word' and 'it doesn't mean anything'. It is offensive and rude, and it needs to change. However, replacing it or forcing people to stop using it will not fix the problem.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone else, I do not think that eliminating the word will change much of anything. People use words without thinking many times. I know some perfectly amazing people who without thinking about the meaning of the word will say something like "that's retarded". They are not meaning to be offensive, to them it is just another word. I think that if we really want to change it, then we should educate people about the word and how it affects and what it means to other people.
ReplyDeleteI only somewhat agree with the above comments. No, we can't stop people from using the word retarded as slang, but we can stop associating that negative slang word with people with disabilities. I honestly think that the majority of people just haven't heard of the term intellectual disability, but that they would be perfectly willing to use it. To be honest I used the word retarded as an insult when I was growing up, but I never associated that word with people with disabilities. It's a matter of our laws being outdated and it makes us look ignorant. I stand behind the effort to remove the r word from laws and things referring to individuals with disabilities.
ReplyDeleteEven though I absolutely hate the “R” word I do not think that getting rid of the word is going to change the problem of people making fun of those with disabilities. The aft is some people just do not have e the integrity or human decency to accept people who are different. It has nothing to do with the word; it has to do with their “person”. If the word was to be banned or rather eliminated it would stop people from using it. It may not show up in government documents or other documents, but people still know the word and most likely would not stop using it. Yes, it is frustrating and pathetic to hear people use it. Personally, I think it shows how uneducated they are about the world. Having the NBA support the movement of getting rid of the word, I don‘t think, will work. It is a nice gesture, but I think what will work is more positive examples of treating individuals with disabilities with respect and compassion. People learn from example and if a movement is going to work it is not going to happen through changing a word.
ReplyDeleteI really think it's a great thing that so many people are trying to eliminate the R-word. However, like most of the others have stated I don't necessarily think eliminating the word will change people's attitude. And even if we try to eliminate the word people will probably still say it or come up with another just as offensive word to take it's place. A lot of the time when people say this word I don't think they realize exactly what it means when they say it. I think it's important to just emphasize the true meaning of the word and educate people on how it could be offensive to someone, because I think if a majority of people realize that the word is extremely hurtful or offensive they would work on no longer incorporating it into their vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not like what society has done with the "r" word, there is not muh you can do to change it. Even if the word were to be changed, the new word to replace it would, over time, be turned into a derogatory remark. As for the use, I personally do not use it that often, and when I do it is in a professional context. It is my belief that people who use the derogatory form of the word do not have a negative attitude towards people with disabilities, rather they are just uneducated about the actual meaning of the word. Most of the time, the word is not used to offend people with disabilities. Instead of worrying about people and their feelings, efforts should be directed towards education people about the word and it's meaning. We need to focus on the person with the disability, not the word they are called, that is not important.
ReplyDeleteThe word itself isn't bad, but its gained such a negative connotation that it has become offensive. However, removing it from legislation isn't really going to change anything because the ideas behind laws are what makes them and not the words, so changing "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability" isn't going to change who laws are helping.
ReplyDeleteI try not to use the words 'retard' or 'retarded' anymore just because it's become offensive. But that doesn't change the attitude behind it anyways, which is what people need to change. Its the same with other offensive words for other groups of people. People need to change themselves for it to make a difference.
Just like many of the others I would have to agree that it is not the word itself it is the connotation that is hurtful. I wish it could be that all you had to do was change the word but in the world we live in now changing the word would do nothing. I feel like the only thing that we can do to help people understand and to not use the r-word is to educate them. We need to change peoples attitude towards kids that have these disabilities. I really liked how they got the NBA to help out with the campaign I think if we keep that up then we can make a difference.
ReplyDeleteI grew up with an older sister that, honestly, until a few years ago (when I was surrounded by many that were worried about saying "politically-correct" terms), I didn't think twice about saying she was mentally retarded. Because that's medically exactly what was diagnosed, that as the word retarded is defined as "to make slow; delay the development or progress of (an action, process, etc.); hinder or impede; to be delayed; a slowing down..." She had been born with a "retarded brain", one that had been developmentally delayed to only progress to roughly the equivalent of a 6 mo. old. Did I refer to her as a retard? Of course not. That isn't WHO she was. And just like we learned about using "people first" language: saying a student with disabilities rather than a disabled student, I think the same idea should be remembered with this whole debate. We are not referring to the individuals as retards. Just as using the term "intellectually impaired" is defining their medical prognosis (in a more round-about-way), not the individual them-self, I feel that so much attention is put on "what do we call them" instead of the important issue: HOW DO WE HELP MAKE THEIR LIVES MORE MEANINGFUL AND SUCCESSFUL? All you have to do is look at some of the other words in the English language that have had their "innocent" meaning changed to refer to derogatory things. So the wording gets changed, how many years until it needs to be changed again? Isn't it more important to focus efforts on educating the ignorant people that use the word(s) incorrectly and raising awareness for those with special needs? Wouldn't it be more effective to treat such students as individuals instead of trying to find a term to "classify" them by, forgetting they have names, individual needs, wants, special circumstances, etc.? Yes, name-calling hurts and is offensive. I was the first to defend my sister if anyone started to say anything off-color, but I also tried to remember the bigger picture- I think that it is often "looking beyond the mark" and forgetting the true goal and desired outcome simply focusing on names and category titles. Maybe if the legislation wasn't getting so caught up in the "little fights" we'd have more manpower to actually pass IMPORTANT bills, etc. that DO something for those that need it.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that changing the "R" word would change people's attitude. Changing the word might make things better for the first little while but then a new word would come up and take its place, its basically a never ending story. I'll admit that when I was little I used to use the word all the time about my self and occasionally I will slip and say the word out of bad habit. But I realize that it is not a good word to say in the context that most people use in. I also realize that using that "R" in that context is in appropriate and now has a negative connotation. And I agree with the above statements the only way to have change is for people to change themselves.
ReplyDeleteI have never been a fan of the "R" word. When I hear someone say it in a casual conversation, it always sticks out to me and sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me. With my experience of trying to "spread the word to end the word", I had different feedback from all individuals. One person pointed something out to me that has really changed my perspective. I used to always try and tell people not to use that word and I let others know I found it offensive. Now, I still do this to some degree, but I realized I was being kind of hypocritical. When I use the words "gay", "dumb", and "lame", they can be just as offensive to certain people. It would be impossible to get everyone to stop using all of those words, so I figure if I make an effort not to use those words, at least I am one person who is stopping. Hopefully I will create a chain reaction with my example eventually in time.
ReplyDeleteI feel a similar negative emotion whenever I hear the R-word, especially since entering the program to become a professional special educator. Although the word may have started as a means of identifying individuals who need extra assistance, it has become, frankly, a hate word- even when it is used in jest. Something that is used as a label for the purpose of allowing people to receive extra help should not be also used as an insult. I won't pretend that I'm innocent- I often use words or labels lightheartedly in jokes, but it's something to be aware of and change. Using a word such as the R-word for something other than it's intended diagnosis is damaging to the self-esteem of those who fit the diagnosis. It's like talking about cancer as though it's something a person can control and is a joke; no one who has experienced the challenge of cancer or has watched a loved one deal with that is going to find it funny, because it's not.
ReplyDeleteI think that removing the R-word as the accepted label for extraordinary individuals is an important first step. Just as with the N-word though, changes in vocabulary will come long before true changes in attitude will. It will likely take a generation of parents raising their children up without negative labeling before lasting change will become a part of society.
I don't think the "R" word should be eradicated from society. I personally do not like to use the word and can find it offensive, but I think trying to eliminate the term altogether will do more harm than good. Eliminating this phrase would not only cost many organizations a lot financially, but it would give our society permission to distort more words in the future. The term "hell" is used in the Bible numerous times, but we do not see our church leaders trying to eradicate it because it has gained a negative connotation. The same rules should apply in this situation. We should be able to use the "R" word appropriately and not let society change its original meaning.
ReplyDeleteI agree on the fact that I hate that word and what it has become in our society. I twinge a little every time I hear someone use it out of context. But honestly, do I think it would do any good to remove it completely? No, I don't because people are always going to find a way to look down upon those with disabilities. They will just manage to come up with a new word that later on we will all find offense. Its sad that this is a problem, but there aren't really any ways to fix it.
ReplyDeleteI like many of the other people who have commented think that eliminating the R word from legislation is not necessarily going to make the situation any better. The word does have some negative connotations and I do think that it can be used offensively, however, any term can be used in this same light. I like how a person commented that there are many words that are popular in society that can be just as degrading to someone. I think that we all need to be a little more aware of how we use potentially harmful words. Not just when it comes to the R- word. Society needs to change how they use the words not just remove the words from society's vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this argument in many ways. I do believe that the word retarded has a negative and demeaning connotation. I personally do not like to use the word. Not because I mean it offensively, because I don't, but because people might interpret it as offensive.
ReplyDeleteI understand that people are trying to rectify this problem by changing the wording in their organizations. This effort is all well and good, but is it the most productive thing we could be using these funds for? We can spend thousands to millions of dollars changing the terminology on documents and pamphlets, or we could spend that same money funding programs to help the people themselves. Perhaps we could use that money to make it so that students with special needs can stay in the public school system for a few extra years if needful.
Basically, I agree that the term is often used negatively. I believe it is a valiant thing to try and change the terminology in organizations. I don't believe, however, that this is the best way to use these funds.
As far as I understand it the "R" word didn't have a negative connotation at first. People have just used it in a negative way for so long that it has acquired a negative connotation. I was president of a club called "Best Buddies" in high school. Best Buddies International also had a movement to eliminate the "R" word. I believe that this word is not used in an appropriate way, and something needs to change. I also believe that people are dumb and will give any word a negative connotation.
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