Groups across campus are coming together this week to promote a campaign to help end the derogatory use of the words “retard” and “retarded.”
Juniors Anna Ollinger and Kelsey Knight, and freshman Elizabeth Schroeder, were the head organizers of this week’s campaign, entitled “Spread the Word to End the Word,” which is aimed at encouraging students to be more conscious of the impact their words have on other people.
They coordinated with the Campus Y committee Best Buddies, Special Olympics of North Carolina and Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity through its philanthropy program: Push America, to get donations, schedule the week’s events and raise interest from professors.
“It’s important to not only acknowledge that language can be negative and exclude people,” Ollinger said.
“But also that if we do change the way we use it, it can be inclusive as well.”
During one of Monday’s events for the campaign, Kerry Hagner, a Special Olympics athlete and representative, spoke in the Pit about the repercussions of the improper use of the “R-word.”
“I want to accomplish that the R-word is no longer used as a hurtful word, because it hurts people with physical disabilities who are also my close friends,” she said.
Schroeder said her involvement in the campaign has led her to appreciate the receptiveness of the University community.
“I think of it as a more general trend in society to be more careful about how we speak and being more respectful and inclusive of people with disabilities,” she said.
