Afterwards, I spent a lot of time thinking over this interaction because I was upset that I did not say anything. I was recently in a situation where a person was using the r-word, and because I felt uncomfortable, I did not speak up. There are many other words to choose from instead of the r-word that will better represent the intended meaning. In addition, the real message of the sentence is lost because the r-word has a completely different meaning than the words “stupid” or “dumb”. When used in this way it is equivalent to saying people with disabilities are stupid. It can be hurtful whether it is directed towards a person with a disability or when used as a synonym for “dumb” or “stupid”.
The r-word is an exclusive term that furthers negative stereotypes about people with disabilities. However, since then the word has been replaced by the term “intellectual disability” because it is more accurate and accepting. At one point in time “mental retardation” was a medical term used to describe a person with an intellectual disability. The definition of the word retarded, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary is “ Offensive: slow or limited in intellectual or emotional development”. For this reason, it may be difficult to understand why the word is still considered offensive. Since the word has become commonly used in informal speech, it is harder to see the connection between the original word meaning and the current informal use of the word. There is a gross misunderstanding about the meaning of the word and why it is offensive in the first place. To me, these responses demonstrate that there is a larger problem than the use of the r-word. Many people are apologetic and say, “Oh, sorry, I mean stupid.” Other people have tried to explain that the r-word is no longer associated with people with disabilities and it is just a synonym for stupid and therefore is okay to use. I typically get several types of responses. When used by someone I am talking to I will usually ask him or her to choose a different word. “That’s so retarded” or “don’t be such a retard” are frequent statements I hear casually said around campus.