Resources - Issues of Importance

End the R-Word! Campaign

Campaign Successes:

• August 16, 2010: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed into law a bill that removes the words "mental retardation" and other offensive terminology from our state statutes. These terms will now be replaced with the terms intellectual disability and developmental disability, as well as person-first language. The passage of this bill into law is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of Self Advocates from across the state; Barbara Coppens, President of the New Jersey Statewide Self Advocacy Network, attended the signing.
  
  
• March 23, 2010: The New Jersey Statewide Self-Advocacy Network and The New Jersey Self-Advocacy Project of The Arc of New Jersey held an End The R-Word! Rally For Respect at Rutgers University. More than 600 self-advocates and other disabilities advocates convened for an enthusiastic and moving demonstration about ending the derogatory use of the words "retard" and "retarded". The event was a powerful public stand against the hurtful use of these words, with Self-advocacy representatives from every New Jersey county calling for:
  
  1. Recognition that people with developmental disabilities are contributing members of society
  2. A Pledge to stop the hurtful use of the words retard and retarded in everyday language
  3. Statewide support for removal of these offensive words from all New Jersey State documents

There is much work left to be done in the campaign to end the hurtful, demeaning and derogatory use of the term retard and all its derivations. An End the R-word! Activities Kit has been developed to enable organizations and groups to incorporate End the R-word! activities and materials into all types of events.

The End the R-word! Activities Kit includes:

• Talking points and key message of the campaign
• Sample postcards, flyers, stickers, etc.
• Sample emails, press releases, promise posters
• Suggestions and other resources

Return to List