Special Olympics Launches 'Spread the Word to End the Word' Campaign

An electronic plea was sent March 31, 2009, by Special Olympics Massachusetts to subscribers of their online newsletter. The e-mail communication included a personal message from John C. McGinley, an ambassador for the National Down Syndrome Society. McGinley partnered with Special Olympics so he could promote a platform of getting people to change the way they use the words "retard" and "retarded."

In his note, McGinley requests that people recognize the hurtfulness of these words and pledge to stop using them. He invites people to join Special Olympics' "Spread the Word to End the Word" campaign.

According to Special Olympics, the Spread the Word to End the Word initiative was started by young people with and without intellectual disabilities. The campaign is one part of Special Olympics' dream of a world where all people are accepted and considered important.

Special Olympics offers year-round coached sports training and athletic competitions to people with intellectual disabilities. The organization also avails means for people to develop physical fitness, to get ready for school and community activities, to express bravery, experience happiness and to be actively involved in sharing their talents and friendship with their kin, fellow Special Olympics Athletes and the community as a whole.

In their campaign to eliminate retard from being used as an insult, carelessly or purposefully, Special Olympics is promoting the means for people to take "the R-word pledge."

Individuals can go to the website www.r-word.org, and then click the pledge box. By doing so, people are taking the vow: "I pledge and support the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities."

According to Special Olympics campaign promotional materials, California, Iowa and Oklahoma have sanctioned official Spread the Word to End the Word days. Also, six universities, including Princeton University, in Princeton, NJ, and American University in Beirut, Lebanon, are said to be involved in r-pledge rallies, along with every high school in the State of Delaware, and Tower Hill School in Newark, NJ. Another effort referenced is the Spread the Word to End the Word online youth rally that was "streamed live" on www.schooltube.com.

From the website, www.r-word.org, people can find out how to order a Spread the Word t-shirt, get Spread the Word resources, read John C. McGinley's R-word message and learn other ways to take action.

For more information about Special Olympics visit www.specialolympics.org.

Sources: Special Olympics and myself, article author, a subscriber to Special Olympics Massachusetts' electronic newsletter.