March is an exciting month for disability advocacy and awareness, comprising awareness months and days for cerebral palsy (CP), brain injury and traumatic brain injury (TBI), intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), and many others. Today, we’re channeling our focus into one specific awareness initiative—the elimination of the “R” word.
“Spread the Word to End the Word” is a national campaign committed to seeing an end to the use of the word “retard[ed]” in everyday language. With a firm understanding of language’s implications on attitudes and actions, the campaign encourages the public to think critically about the implications of the mindless, colloquial use of derogatory terms for individuals with disabilities. By replacing the term with more respectful, humanizing language, the campaign aims to promote and celebrate the many societal contributions made by individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Spread the Word to End the Word’s primary initiative asks participants to take a pledge banning the use of the R-word. Beyond the initial pledge, participants are encouraged to post their pledge on Twitter, share personal stories about the R-word, and actively confront others who use the R-word.
To learn more about the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, visit their website here. There you’ll find a wide range of resources, stories, multimedia presentations, news articles, and event postings. The cerebral palsy experts and lawyers at Michigan Cerebral Palsy Attorneys encourage you to check out the campaign and take the pledge.