Tuesday, March 9, 2010 — Monarch is joining the international movement this month to build awareness for people to stop and think about the use of the R-word. Young people across America have started the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign with the help of the Special Olympics and Best Buddies. The goal of the campaign is to make use of the R-word uncool and to prompt people to reach out to those who have intellectual disabilities. Monarch would like to encourage our neighbors in North Caro-lina to help lead the way in this effort. More than 200 million people around the world have intellectual disabilities. It’s the largest disability population in the world.
Use of the R-word — “retard” or “retarded” — is hurtful and painful to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is also offensive to their families and friends.
People worldwide are making their pledge from work, home, schools and more. Help Monarch and North Carolina take a strong stand against a word which hurts so many people every day. Go to www.r-word.org to pledge against using the word today and to encourage others to stop using it as well.
While many people may not think of the R-word as a curse word or hateful language, it can feel that way to others. When someone uses the R-word to make fun of a person or to refer to behavior that is clumsy, hapless and even hopeless, it makes people with intellectual disabilities feel less than human. No one deserves to have their clinical diagnosis used as a derogatory term.
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are fully capable of enjoying and sharing life experiences — listening to music, playing video games, watching movies and having fun. Many work together toward athletic excellence and building friendships as demonstrated constantly through Special Olympics and Best Buddies International. They go to work, attend school, drive cars, volunteer, get married and make important life decisions.
The SNAP joins with Monarch in encouraging families and friends to talk about the R-word and to join the effort to Spread the Word to End the Word.
For more information and to make your pledge today, please go to www.r-word.org.
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Spread the Word to End The Word
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