Bill would ban some words from state statutes

06:46 PM CDT on Wednesday, April 1, 2009

By CLARA TUMA
KVUE News
http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/txcn/austin/stories/040109kvue_r-word-cb.93001b6b.html

A bill in the Texas Legislature would ban the words “retarded,” “disabled” and “handicapped” from all state statutes and resolutions — past and present.

Senate Bill 1395, by Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo), would require what it calls more “person first respectful” language.

The ARC of Texas, an advocacy group representing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, supports the bill because it says words like “retarded” are now used as slurs.

“The use of it has become so derogatory that it’s turned the term into something that’s hurtful and disrespectful,” said Chris Rodriguez, director of chapter services.

The ARC itself has eliminated the word “retarded” from its name. For many years, the group called itself the Association for Retarded Citizens, but now calls itself the ARC.

“As that word became more and more derogatory it was required that we change and just simply become the ARC,” Rodriguez said.

The bill would ban the use of eight terms in all state statutes and resolutions. They are: disabled, developmentally disabled, mentally disabled, mentally ill, mentally retarded, handicapped, cripple and crippled.

It would replace those terms with these: persons with disabilities, persons with developmental disabilities, persons with mental illness and persons with intellectual disabilities.