Our campaign asks people to pledge to stop saying the R-word as a starting point toward creating more accepting attitudes and communities for all people. Language affects attitudes and attitudes affect actions. Pledge today to use respectful, people-first language.
I was curious to see how their ambitions behind their campaign compared and contrasted with the opinions given in the "What's in a Name" essay. It was obvious that there was a focus on language, but I was very interested to find out that their goals were not just to eliminate a word. Their "Why Pledge" reads:
So, I'm wondering how a conversation between one of the 498,095 pledgees of the campaign and the father who calls his child a "mongoloid" would go. I believe that each party is making great points about the battle between society and people with disabilities, but they are using very different approaches toward change in attitudes. I'd love to hear what you think in comments below! For more information on the campaign, click here -> http://www.r-word.org