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MRDD erases ‘R Word’ from official title

Governor signs bill making it the Board of Developmental Disabilities.

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By Josh Sweigart, Staff Writer Updated 1:12 AM Thursday, July 9, 2009

James Henrie was infuriated, but he kept his cool at his first Bengals game last year when a couple of college kids hurled the “R” word at him.

He just laughed and told himself, “You don’t know the half of the things I’m a part of, so don’t call me retarded,” he said.

Henrie has cerebral palsy. He also has a full-time job at the Butler County Clerk of Court’s Office, and a side business as a graphic designer and Web site developer.

Henrie was overjoyed when state lawmakers agreed with what he and others have said for years: The “R” word long ago became not just a medical term but also an insult, and has no place in government.

Gov. Ted Strickland signed a bill into law Tuesday, July 7, to remove the word from state and local boards of mental retardation and developmental disabilities.

“I’m really happy that they’re finally changing the name,” Henrie said. “We do a lot to show people we’re not retarded. We’re capable of doing anything anyone else is doing.”

Butler County MRDD will become the county’s Board of Developmental Disabilities when the law goes into effect in October. But local advocates can’t wait.

Agency spokeswoman Wendy Planicka said they plan at the Butler County Fair to distribute pencils and erasers with the phrase, “Erase the R Word.” The goal, she said, is to let people know it’s not OK to casually call someone retarded.

It never really made sense in the agency’s name anyway, she said.

“Mental retardation is a developmental disability, so to have both in our name is redundant,” she said.

Henrie is a member of Empowered People Reaching Out, a group of local MRDD self-advocates. A video the group created to talk about the impact that one word can have is available on the agency’s Web site.

“I was teased when I was in high school. ‘Hey retarded boy come here. Hey stupid come here. Idiot come here.’ So it holds a lot — I’d love to see it come out of that,” Michael Cox told the camera.

“We are human beings. We’re not stupid. We’re not retarded. And people need to understand that we have feelings,” Cox said.

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Last summer, there was a increasing number of thefts a group home in NYC (Bernard Fineson Residence, Lower East Side). It became clear that the only person with access to certain parts of the house, the manager Curtis Walker has stolen tens of thousands of dollars worth of supplies, foodstuffs, household equipment and petty cash reserves. He even stole the peety cash reserves and embezzled money from the consumer's back deposits. This is not uncommon with DD facilities.

Dan Brown
7:18 AM, 7/17/2009

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YEAH I NEVER DID LIKE THE WORD ******** ANYWAY
I HAVE A BROTHER WHO IS MENTALY CHALLENGED (I HAVE ALWAYS SIAD THIS) AND TO ME IT WILL ALL OF THEM SOME RESPECT THAT THEY NEED. TO ME THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE CONSIDRED ******** IS THE ONES WHO ARE MEAN AND HAVE NOT BEEN TAUGHT RIGHT FROM WRONG. SO I AM REALLY HAPPY THAT ITS CHANGING ITS NAME.

GOD BLESS

Paula
10:56 AM, 7/9/2009

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So now we have the R-word to add to our vocabulary along with the N-word, B-word, A-word, C-word, and the Z-word. Perhaps we should just discontinue the negative-words and live by the L-word, the P-word, and the U-word. Love, Peace, and Understanding

willy
9:22 AM, 7/9/2009

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We call it something else its OK

Mental retardation (say: ree-tar-day-shun) is a term that was once commonly used to describe someone who learns and develops more slowly than other kids. But it's not used as much anymore because it hurts people's feelings.

Instead, you might hear terms like "intellectual disability" or "developmental delay." But all these words mean basically the same thing. Someone who has this kind of problem will have trouble learning and functioning in everyday life.

Steve
8:35 AM, 7/9/2009

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I agree, good move. Everyone should also watch the movie "The Ringer" which deals with this word in a funny yet appropriate way.

also glad
7:46 AM, 7/9/2009

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