Campaign Targets R-Word

Greg Falk was in a department store in the Spokane Valley Mall a few years ago, waiting in line at a cash register situated near a display of dresses. A woman, who looked to be in her early 20s, pulled a dress off the rack and said, “Oh, this dress is so retarded.” Falk, executive director of The Arc of Spokane, an advocacy and service organization for people with disabilities, didn’t say anything. But he would today. … There is a nationwide campaign urging people to stop using the “R-word” which stands for “retard” or “retarded.” In March, Gonzaga University students created a video featuring students and their friends with intellectual disabilities – all urging an end to the R-word/ Rebecca Nappi , SR. More here. (Tyler Tjomsland SR photo: Megan Soldati, right, a GU student active in the university’s specialized recreation program, poses with program participant Billy Berg)

Question: Do you understand that the R-word is hurtful?