Summer Institute: Change Plan
Educating the Community about Using the R-Word (Retard)
What is the change I wish to make?
Educating others about the negative affects and stigmatisms attached to using the r-word in any context. Looking at how this has created negative thoughts about people/students with disabilities and have left them out of their basis rights. Educate the most people that I can through media. Make the change in myself to take the time to look into others opinions & beliefs and see them as supports/part of the solution in my thinking & change, rather than those I need to change.
What is the current ethical dilemma?
Is it moral to use the r-word in our language?
Questions I considered to think about:
How do you feel about people or yourself using the r-word both in reference to people with disabilities and when used not in reference to people with disabilities?
Also do you think using this word is a "problem" that needs to be changed?
And if so, how do we make this change?
How do we make everyone feel like a solution to this "problem"?
From my perspective:
My personal beliefs lead me to believe that we are oppressing people, making fun of them, and being ignorant by thinking and using the r-word in reference to students/people with disabilities as well as in any other context.
We throw many words around in our language and may say that words don’t really have meaning but I believe they do. I believe they carry deep references with them that can highly affect people each & every day. We need to consider people & their feelings.
Also I know that this topic is personal to me, which sets off some feelings of anger & my immediate response to others is usually resistant & forceful words supporting my beliefs. I find myself initially thinking of others as WRONG & needing to CHANGE, rather than seeing others as supports who can ultimately help me solve this problem.
From others perspective:
(Note: These are exact thoughts & feelings (not complete sentences) that I gained from talking with others about this topic. If names were used, they have been changed. I was and still am, not looking to argue, favor, or personally show my belief in any of these opinions but use them as a way to consider other opinions & personally grow from them in regards to my plan. I still want to hear from many others as well.)
It bothers me, but I feel like there is no use & it will not change because there will always be something. Next it could be using the word cognitive impairment. Before it used to be calling people “ POHI’s”. And what about people using the word “gay”?
It’s hard because so many people used it growing up that it slips out sometimes and it doesn’t have that meaning when I use it.
Isn’t it like the saying, “sticks & stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me” and why not just ignore it and personally try to be a good role model by not using it.
It’s just a word now that doesn’t have the meaning of reference to people with disabilities anymore.
It depends on the situation and the place; it shouldn’t be used in profession settings or at work; but with friends and when joking around it just comes out. Like swearing, I wouldn’t swear in front of my parents but I do in front of my friends.
The movie, The Hangover, has made the word, “retard” very popular again and it is seen as funny to use.
As a fellow educator I do not like the word. I think it's used too loosely, like the word "gay" or "fag". I think it's hurtful and ignorant. I do agree we need to make a change. Having courage and educating people about what the word is, where it came from and why it's inappropriate to use, is the only way to make that change... Of course not everyone will grow up, stand up and make a difference.
Yes I agree that we should not use that word no matter what you are referring it to. It’s like using the word nigger for black people. It is insulting and shouldn’t be used no matter what. I am not sure how to change it but it does need to be done. Somehow making society aware it is publicly incorrect to use.
Well the actual definition of the word, which is based on the IQ level of an individual mainly in a child. We call people morons and idiots everyday which by definition is based on someone with a certain IQ to fall in those ranges of classification. Even though idiot and moron are used almost everyday without people getting offended. The only difference is that mental retardation is a disease, unlike the two listed above. If you look at most people's use of the word retard it is in a way to classify someone with a lower IQ. I feel people should replace retard with idiot or moron. However, shouldn't those words be just as offensive as the word retard? I would like to think so, but I am sure people who might be offended by the word retard might use those two words in the same context as others use retard. It is a double edged sword I think. It is very similar to the word gay because in essence gay means happy or fag which in
My opinion is, I feel awful when people call disabled children or even adults retarded. I'm a sophomore and almost EVERY teenager I know calls someone a retard at least 4 times a day!!!! I even do it myself. Since Jill has brought it to my attention I feel awful. I think it is a problem. Everyone calls people retarded but then when a disabled person walks into the room they watch their mouth. Why would they do that if they weren't offending them?? Why did we even start calling each other retarded? I really wonder how it got started. I don’t know how we can change it, but I wish someone did. Standing up for disabled people would probably be a good start. It’s not their fault, its nobodies! They are wonderful just the way they are! It’s sort of a form of racism.
I think that it takes individuals that are against it to make the change. Not saying it and correcting those who do is the only way we can make a change.
What are some possible “resolutions”?
- I can educate/say something to those I hear using the word, ask them for their beliefs/feelings about it & then explain mine
- Educate/stop children from using the word; start young & focus there
- I can plan community/school events to educate the public on the movement to stop using the r-word
- Use resources already created by others to personally pass out and educate others I come in contact with.
- I can involve other students, community members, people with disabilities, & media to feel as solutions/helpers to solve this issue & work as a team to continually address this issue, study it & re-plan our approach & ideas.
- I can create an interactive blog that puts the power in the public to share what they are doing in their communities, how they handle the tough situations & conversations, and how they are personally invested in this issue as well as a basic education of the topic.
What are some possible “problems”?
- I will not receive the support I hope for/ no one will interact with the idea
- I will not have the time/energy to fully support these resolutions in the way I want & believe that they deserve, so I may feel like I failed.
- I will lean towards taking over this plan to reflect only my ideas & viewpoints.
- I could offend people in the process/ push people to extremes.
How can these “problems” be turned into “opportunities”?
- I will learn through my experiences and see that not every action is going to work/have positive results; I will seek out other ideas to change my methods & approach; involving more people while also learning & growing myself.
- I will learn to let myself relax more or better understand that there is no such thing as “perfect”, my image of perfection is only my perception. Any passion & action I put towards this issue will create some sort of change & conversation which may never seem like enough to me, but I will need to find a level of satisfaction & happiness with it.
- I am now conscious of my ways to tend to lean towards my own opinions, so this project will force me to continually reconsider these & think about how I can do better personally. I will be conscious in my decisions & actions rather than in my comfort zone of work.
- I could use these extremes/ offending opinions of people to:
1) better develop my own opinions & ideas about ethics, morals, and background beliefs and how to then create a meaning conversation with others.
2) I would hope that the feelings, conversation, and reactions of others would transpire into them learning something or finding a change within themselves or if anything feeling a sense of “right” by being able to express their own opinions.
Do I need to improve my skills in order to get this change to happen?
YES:
a) I need to be better able to communicate my thoughts, justify them, and communicate clearly (both verbally & written) to others/large groups.
b) I need to let my guard down to let others’ opinions & help be the focus and internal drive of this project
c) I need to find that pause button in my life to find the time to continually devote & change with this project.
How important is this change to me?
I’m still trying to fully figure this out, I think this is a start because somehow it can be considered safer than other things, but ultimately I think it is suppose to lead to something bigger........
As for now, I do KNOW that:
It is personal:
* I believe using the r-word in any context is wrong & does hurt people (and this is not the only word in our vocabulary, but it is my focus for now)
* I have used the word myself many times in the past/growing up without any thought and this scares me.
* My cousin—I can’t live with myself knowing that some people look at her and immediately think the r-word or some other negative, disabling term rather than immediately thinking about what she can do!
The public does hold feelings about it too:
* There are people who do believe it is wrong
* There are people offended by it
* It is for the most part censored in our media/ or in classroom & situations when people with disabilities are around
* There is the feeling that change is useless because of beliefs that we will always find “words” like the r-word in our language.
So YES, this change is extremely important to me because I think it is the basis of my discovery, change, and work towards a big picture change plan!!! We all have to start somewhere.
How will this change help others?
My hope is that it will benefit children & their education. It will help adults and children with disabilities feel better about themselves, it will give parents & families one less thing to fight against & advocate for. It will educate the public on many levels: the use of their language, the feelings of others, consideration of others opinions, the role/ current status of our education system, and the list could continue. It will also connect us!! It will help us form relationships and it will let everyone feel like a solution to this problem.
This again….Is a start….We are the solution
