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Lawmakers Look To Get Rid Of “R” Word
April 10, 2013
It’s known as the “R” word.
Florida lawmakers are moving toward erasing the terms “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” from myriad state laws, as the word “retarded” has become widely viewed as offensive to people with disabilities.
“Mental retardation” would be replaced by “intellectual disability,” and “mentally retarded” would be replaced by “intellectually disabled.” As an indication of how references to retardation thread through state laws, the House is considering a 71-page bill to replace the terms — which pop up in everything from criminal laws to health laws.
“”It makes me upset, mad, when people use the R word. The word makes us (people with developmental disabilities) mad, and angry, and sad. People need to stop saying this word. I speak for others like me,” Barbara Collier (pictured), a client of ARC Gateway in Pensacola since 1996 said. She is a resident of one of six ARC group homes, a valuable member of the ARC horticulture program, a bocce player and bowler in the Special Olympics.
Deborah Linton, executive director of The ARC of Florida, said she has worked for three years to convince lawmakers to eliminate the “R” word and its variations. In the past, Linton’s group was known as the Association for Retarded Citizens.
“It was a medical term, and it became an insult,” Linton said Tuesday after the House Health and Human Services Committee voted unanimously to approve the bill (HB 1119). At the other end of the Capitol, the Senate Rules Committee also voted unanimously for the Senate version (SB 142).
House sponsor Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, said 39 states have made similar changes to their laws. A person with an intellectual disability typically has an IQ of 70 to 75 or below, has limits on the ability to carry on everyday life activities and had the disability before age 18, according to The ARC website.
But while advocacy groups have made a priority of changing the terms, two speakers with intellectual disabilities told the House committee Tuesday that they are still hurt by getting called retarded.
“A lot of people have special needs and different personalities,” said Tyler Creamer, 20, of Panama City “I don’t like when people judge us or put us down. I am important.”
Members of the committee praised the measure.
“Sometimes the most simple of bills can be the most monumental,” said Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach.
By The News service of Florida
Comments
16 Responses to “Lawmakers Look To Get Rid Of “R” Word”
in a few years they will come up with another term because “intellectually disabled” will become an offensive term to these same people. you cannot win.
Everybody has become all sensitive and weak…grow some skin people! There is always going to be someone or something that is offensive to us all. The world is cold and cruel sometimes..well most of the time. Liberals think it can be peace,roses,butterflies and unicorns. By supposedly trying to make the world that way they are actually making it very complicated and less free. They live in a fantasy land. They want everything to be peaceful and fair and loving and kind but turn around and attack the only people in the history of the world that practices those things..Christians. Doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.
There are other words that could be used but are far too cruel – like dumb ot stupid. Retard is a fair word and who isn’t retatded on something?
Ok maybe the term is offensive to some people, but seriously how delicate are we willing to make our children? Kids are harsh because they are not taught the true meanings to these words. If they were giving the correct definition and or use of the word then the “some” people wouldn’t take those “r” word offensively. When u decide to ban this word or strike it from the dictionary that is now encroaching on our freedom of speech. People can always turn a “deaf ear” to people being ignorant to the inappropriate use of this said word. All in all if you take it away more children may use it more frequently and more inappropriately. Why not seeing that we are on a kick for getting rid of words, why not respect, loyalty, faithfulness, there are far more words in which are used just as in appropriately and by some cause more violence than the said “r” word. This is just a thought.
ALL this political correctness has gotten WAY out of control! This crap is what has helped to RUIN the American Society!!!!
I’ve worked with individuals with disabilities for the past 30 years. I’ve heard and used the terms MR, TMR and PMR before they were changed to Educable Mentally Handicapped, Trainable Mentally Handicapped and Profoundly Mentally Handicapped. I guess somewhere along the way, these terms were found to be offensive, so now we will all have to go with intellectually disabled, getting rid of the “H” word as well.
I’m with the lady who said she finds no offense in the term mentally retarded, only in the slur when it’s used to be hurtful or to bring someone down.
Everyone is WAY WAY too sensitive about words that accurately describe a MEDICAL condition. Leave it the way it is and focus on those who are bullying others by calling them names. Even the children are being “taught” the MR is a terrible thing to call them – in the medical sense. Otherwise, how would they know? Someone explained to to them and told them it was bad, that’s how.
I am offended by people that are offended so easily.
Why not “Mentally Disabled” & “Mental Disability”?
I can understand people wanting to take away the hurt associated with the word, the way bullies use it and whatnot.
However, I am a CNA who works with the disabled, and mental retardation, or MR as we usually say, is a medical condition. Are we supposed to change the word in the medical system because some people find it offense?
It accurately describes a medical condition, and people are made fun of for all kinds of medical problems, not just this one
Crackers, properly used, are flat-land hillbillies
Come on. If all people on this earth had the same intellect these minor infractions would not occur. It is not that way and will never be. Find another bandwagon to jump on put more emphasis on educating everyone to the same level ,then and only then will these euphemismsdisappear..
Would someone please tell me what the difference is? You can call me white, Caucasian or cracker; they are all descriptive words and none make a hill of beans to me.
So now in the midst of our great debt we should spend millions of dollars to change all of the words in all of our laws relating to mental retardation just to please a few. If this country goes bankrupt, the liberals won’t be able to point a finger anywhere else.
So do we have to change wording in the laws again if the term intellectually disabled become offensive to them one day? It’s just words people.. not sticks or stones.
Personally, I don’t see why anybody gets offended. As said in the article, it is a MEDICAL TERM. The insult is different. My child is mentally retarded. Retarded means slowed, therefore, he is mentally slowed. What’s the problem? Too much sensitivity about irrelevant things.
I don’t care what words are used to describe his medical condition. They are medical terms. Changing the wording of the law will not affect the people who use the term as an insult. It’s how it’s used, people, not the word itself.
Any word which accurately or commonly describes an unpleasant or undesirable condition will eventually fall out of favor. That’s so special. I’ve heard people complain about the use of the offensive word “indians” in the Constitution.
David contemplating euphemisms
and noble red men
I for one find the “R” word more offensive then the “N” word. I hope this does make it through.