The R-word is the word ‘retard(ed)’. Why does it hurt? The R-word hurts because it is exclusive. It’s offensive. It’s derogatory.
Our campaign asks people to pledge to stop saying the R-word as a starting point toward creating more accepting attitudes and communities for all people. Language affects attitudes and attitudes affect actions. Pledge today to use respectful, people-first language.
The quote above is taken from r-word.org. Today is the annual day of awareness to “spread the word to end the word”. I know a lot of people don’t even realize that by using the r-word they are effectively being offensive to people with intellectual disabilities. This is a day to make people aware of the negativity and disrespect of using the r-word.
Since my older sister has Down syndrome, I have never liked hearing the r-word used as a derogatory term. This word doesn’t fit in our society anymore, so I hope you will join me in pledging to eliminate the use of this demeaning word! Thank you :)
StarSpry 
Gladly. We had an incident on our (League) website earlier this year. While reconstructing our history, our historian pulled from “period” materials, and we offended someone with THAT agency, so we re-worded that segment of our history to say “… the organization now known as…”
It isn’t the first time we’ve been asked to stop using a hurtful slur that was once commonplace.
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