Activists back plan to rename state Department of Mental Retardation

By Dirk Perrefort
THE NEWS-TIMES
DANBURY — Patricia Healy doesn’t like it when people use the “R” word — in fact, it offends her.Healy, a Ridgefield resident with Down syndrome who works at The Greenery Cafe on Main Street, said people who use the word “retarded” usually don’t realize the negative effect it has on those with disabilities.

“It’s degrading, and it doesn’t sound right,” said Healy, 51.

“When people use the ‘R’ word they are making fun of us,” she said. “But it doesn’t hurt me as much as it hurts them. It shows their ignorance.”

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