The
r-word
hurts.
HOW TO HOST AN EVENT
#1
Two weeks before the event
#2
One week before the event
Hand-out STWTETW swag
(bracelets or magnets) and/or leaflets containing event information.
Display a banner and posters in your
school. Publicize the event through your
announcements and publications.
LEAFLET
MAGNET
SAMPLE
BANNER
BRACELET
#3
Day of the event
Have computers available in
your school for your students to visit
www.r-word.org and take the pledge
to not use the r-word.
-ORHave students sign the banner.
Say Thank You with a sticker.
STICKER
SAMPLE
POSTER
#4
After the event
Send a short recap of your event
(what you did, how many took the pledge,
etc.) to Johna Thum at [email protected]
Include photos if you can!
Thank you for participating and for
making a difference!
The
r-word
hurts.
KEY MESSAGES AND TALKING POINTS
It is time we Spread the Word to End the Word™ and build awareness for society to stop and think about its’ use of
the R-word. That R-word is something hurtful and painful – “retard” or “retarded.” Most people don’t think of this word
as hate speech, but that’s exactly what it feels like to millions of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families and friends. The R-word is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur. Visit www.r-word.org to
make your pledge today.
What Special Olympics Does: Approximately 6.5 million people in the United States have an intellectual disability and
200 million people worldwide - That’s about 3 percent of the world’s population. Special Olympics transforms lives through the joy
of sport, every day, everywhere. We are the world’s largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities: with 4.2
million athletes in 170 countries -- and millions more volunteers and supporters.
Changing Attitudes: Special Olympics is also a global social movement. Special Olympics is the leading voice in raising
awareness about the abilities of people with intellectual disabilities. We fight negative stereotypes and misperceptions. We educate people young and old about the skills and gifts of our athletes. We provide educational experiences for coaches, volunteers
and teachers to enhance their knowledge and show them how the Special Olympics experience can transcend all aspects of their
lives.
Words Change Over Time: During the evolution of a language, terms appear and disappear. In most cases, this is a natural phenomenon; in others, it is the result of a conscious effort to effect a change in usage. This has held true in the field of intellectual disabilities. Over the past 200 years, this condition has been described by many different terms, including feeblemindedness, idiocy, idiot, imbecile and moron. The term ‘mental retardation’ was introduced to replace words such as those because they
were believed to be inappropriate. In the past five years, the word mental retardation has itself become pejorative, and is universally accepted as scientifically worthless and socially harmful.
Becoming Law: In 2010, Rosa’s Law was signed into federal law by U.S. President Barack Obama. This law removes the terms
“mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” from federal health, education and labor policy and replaces them with people first
language, i.e. “individual with an intellectual disability” and “intellectual disability.”
The R-word Today: The r-word (retard(ed) has become a common word used by society as an insult for someone or something
stupid. For example, you might hear someone say, “That is so retarded” or “Don’t be such a retard.” When used in this way, the rword can apply to anyone or anything, and is not specific to someone with a disability. But, even when the r-word is not said to
harm someone with a disability, it is hurtful.
Who says the R-word Hurts? People with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends - that’s who.
-View this powerful video posted by a mom of a child with an intellectual disability:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16CxvRjx-34
-Read the letter that follows that was written by a person with an intellectual disability:
The
r-word
hurts.
USING THE WORD “RETARD” TO DESCRIBE ME HURTS
By John Franklin Stephens
easily speak for themselves. I thank God
that he gave me this chance to be
someone's voice.
You don't mean to make me feel that way.
In fact, like I say in some of my speeches,
What's the big deal about using the word
"I have always depended on the kindness
"retard"?
of strangers," and it works out OK most of
The hardest thing about having an intellec- the time. Still, it hurts and scares me when
A lot of people are talking about the movie tual disability is the loneliness. We proI am the only person with intellectual disa"Tropic Thunder." One of the reasons that cess information slower than everyone
bilities on the bus and young people start
it is being talked about is that the charac- else. So even normal conversation is a
making "retard" jokes or references.
ters use the term "retard" over and over.
constant battle for us not to lose touch
They use it the same way that kids do all
with what the rest of you are saying. Most Please put yourself on that bus and fill the
the time, to jokingly insult one another.
of the time the words and thoughts just go bus with people who are different from
too fast for us to keep up, and when we
you. Imagine that they start making jokes
The people who made the movie, Dream- finally say something it seems out of
using a term that describes you. It hurts
Works and Paramount, and many of the
place.
and it is scary.
critics who have reviewed it, say that the
term is being used by characters who are We are aware when all the rest of you
Last, I get the joke — the irony — that only
dumb and shallow themselves.
stop and just look at us. We are aware
dumb and shallow people are using a term
when you look at us and just say, "unh
that means dumb and shallow. The probYou see, we are supposed to get the joke huh," and then move on, talking to each
lem is, it is only funny if you think a
that it is only the dumb and shallow people other. You mean no harm, but you have
"retard" is someone dumb and shallow. I
who use a term that means dumb and
no idea how alone we feel even when we am not those things, but every time the
shallow. My dad tells me that this is called are with you.
term is used it tells young people that it is
"irony."
OK to think of me that way and to keep me
That is why I love being a Global Messen- on the outside.
So, what's the big deal?
ger. I work for days telling my dad what I
want to talk about and he tries to write it
That is why using "retard" is a big deal to
Let me try to explain.
down for me. Then we do it over and over people like me.
until we have something that says what I
I am a 26-year-old man with Down Synmean. We wrote this letter the same way. John Franklin Stephens is a Special Olymdrome. I am very lucky. Even though I was
pics Virginia athlete and Global Messenborn with this intellectual disability, I do
So, what's wrong with "retard"? I can only ger who lives in Fairfax, Va.
pretty well and have a good life. I live and tell you what it means to me and people
work in the community. I count as friends
like me when we hear it. It means that the
the people I went to school with and the
rest of you are excluding us from your
people I meet in my job.
group. We are something that is not like
you and something that none of you would
Every day I get closer to living a life like
ever want to be. We are something outyours.
side the "in" group. We are someone that
is not your kind.
I am a Global Messenger for Special
Olympics and make speeches to people
I want you to know that it hurts to be left
all over the country. I once spoke to over
out here, alone. Nothing scares me as
10,000 people at the Richmond Coliseum. much as feeling all alone in a world that
I realize that I am a voice for other people moves so much faster than I do.
with intellectual disabilities who cannot
The
r-word
hurts.
HISTORY OF THE R-WORD CAMPAIGN
A String of Successes but Far to Go
March 4, 2010
For Special Olympics, the R-word campaign kicked off in 2004 at the
The Spread the Word to End the Word Campaign reaches 100,000
request of athletes with intellectual disabilities who were uncomfortable
pledges.
being called mentally retarded.
March 10, 2010
2004
Spread the Word to End the Word hits primetime – a Spread the Word t-
In response to Special Olympics athletes’ call for change, the Special
shirt on Turk (played by Donald Faison) on the hit show “Scrubs.”
Olympics International Board of Directors adopts a resolution to update
the movement’s terminology from “mental retardation” to “intellectual
disabilities.”
April 8, 2010
Special Olympics Project Unify joins forces with TEEN TRUTH to deliver
the important Spread the Word to End the Word message to youth
2008
around the nation with reach to over 200 schools and approximately
Special Olympics launches the website www.r-word.org to combat the
200,000 students.
inappropriate use of the R-word in common usage.
May 26, 2010
August 14, 2008
The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Labor, Education and Pensions
Special Olympics, along with a coalition of national disability organiza-
(HELP) approved Rosa’s Law to remove the words “mental retardation”
tions, mobilizes a grass-roots campaign against "Tropic Thunder," a
and “mentally retarded” from federal laws.
DreamWorks production. Special Olympics athletes joined protestors at
demonstrations in Los Angeles, California, Washington D.C., New York
City, Delaware, Massachusetts, Missouri and Texas. "Tropic Thunder,"
August 5, 2010
Rosa’s Law is unanimously passed in the U.S. Senate.
marketed as a satire about Hollywood actors and the movie industry in
September 23, 2010
general, contains scenes promoting the idea that a "retard" is funny.
Rosa’s Law is unanimously approved in the House of Representatives.
February 2009
October 5, 2010
Spread the Word to End the Word is created by youth with and without
Rosa’s Law is signed into federal law by U.S. President Barack Obama.
intellectual disabilities who participated in the Special Olympics Global
The law removes the terms “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded”
Youth Activation Summit at the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter
from federal health, education and labor policy and replaces them with
Games.
people first language “individual with an intellectual disability” and
March 31, 2009
First annual day of awareness for “Spread the Word to End the Word.”
November 2009
Rosa’s Law is introduced into the U.S. Senate and championed by Sen.
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) to eliminate the
term “mental retardation” from most federal laws.
January 2010
Best Buddies International partners with Special Olympics in supporting
the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign, expanding the campaign's message of respect and inclusion for all people to their network
of 1,500 middle school, high school and college chapters around the
world.
March 3, 2010
Second annual day of awareness for “Spread the Word to End the
Word.” Over 500 events were held on March 3rd and more than 20,000
pledges were collected on this day alone.
“intellectual disability.”
January, 2013
South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard signs a bill updating language in
state laws referring to people with intellectual disabilities. The governor
says the bill eliminates outdated and offensive references in state law
such as "mental retardation" and "mentally retarded. "When the law
takes effect July 1, new language will use terms such as "intellectual
disability" and "individual with an intellectual disability."
Daugaard says South Dakota needs to join a nationwide movement to
promote respectful language. He says the bill promotes the dignity and
humanity of South Dakotans with intellectual disabilities.
State Human Services Secretary Laurie Gill says changing offensive
language in state law is a major step toward honoring the dignity of people with intellectual disabilities.