I like to do many activities that other able-bodied people do, it may look a little different and take a bit more support; but I have just as much fun as you.

One thing that can stop me in my tracks, though, is one little word that begins with the letter “R.”. The word “retard” is a hurtful word that means more than what many think it does. It’s not a light word to be thrown about among friends. It is a word that carries a lot of weight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUB1az40gUM

Just like anyone else, I don’t like to be labeled or referred to as anything less than the person who I am. When I hear the word, “Retard,” it makes me feel sad and hurt. It makes me feel like my power has been taken away; like I cannot do all of the things that I would like to. It makes me feel angry and resentful of the people that use it with such carelessness.

I don’t like to feel all of these negative emotions. I like to be positive and try my best. I like to believe we are only limited by our own imaginations. I like to think that if others truly understood the impact the word “retard” can have, they would stop using it, Completely; and not just brush away the concerns of the differently-abled by explaining they “didn’t mean it in that way.”

To all of those who use the r-word regularly,I have one simple request:

Think before you speak.

We all live in one community, one world, and we can make it better if we show each other the same amount of respect that we expect for ourselves and our loved ones. We all need to be aware of the power the words we chose to use can have.

Spread the Word to End the Word!