Various NPR disability stories
Label falls short for those with mental retardation by Joseph Shapiro. Excerpt:
The term mental retardation was supposed to be an improvement. But the fight over language keeps going on. That becomes clear if you ask those with mental retardation what they think about that description."Poster Child" Emily Rapp about her life and her book, Poster Child: A Memoir
"I hate that word — mental retardation," says Thelma Greene of Washington, D.C. "I wish they would change that one, because it sounds so institutional, like you can't do nothing for yourself and you're depending on somebody else to do everything, from putting on all your clothes down to your shoes. And that's not right."
"Retardation is not the good word," Anthony Vessels, also of Washington, says in agreement.
"I never did like that word 'retardation' or 'mental retardation,' adds Victor Robinson. "Because everyone has called people names about that. And no, none of my friends did like that name or any other name, being called 'stupid, dumb.' And it hurts a person very much."
A look at an autistic savant's brilliant mind from Talk of the Nation, about Daniel Tammet's memoir Born on a Blue Day.
3 comments:
It's strange how hard it is to come up with names for human conditions that don't offend the very people they are meant to classify. Maybe that's the whole problem. People really don't like to be labeled, as though they were no longer individuals.
I made the mistake many years ago of telling a parent that her child was slow, and could she please help her work on some assignment, or some such. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why the Mom got mad at me. I hadn't been teaching in that area very long, and was not familiar with the labels they put on people. Her child WAS slow. She was always the last one to finish any assignment I gave. But that's not what that Mom heard. As far as she was concerned, I was telling her that her child was "a retard."
So, if it's not to be mental retardation, what do those individuals whose mental abilities fall below the "average" wish to be called?? I've seen intellectually challenged being used of late. Is that the correct term now?
PS. I found your blog while checking my Technorati stats. I saw that you had a link to my Day by Day with Parkinson's and Peripheral Neuropathy blog, so I thought I'd come see what you were posting about. I'm adding you to MY blog list right now!!
Really wonderful links! Nothing gets me angrier than hearing (or reading) adults sling around the "retard" or "f*cktard" label.
You'd think they'd know better.
Dirty Butter, I think what differet people are comfortable with varies, but increasingly, when I've seen/read the opinions of the people who are given those labels, well, I haven't seen any who say it just doesn't bother them.
I think the label evolving is a valid attempt to stay a step ahead of the stigma.
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