Vídeos

A father speaks with City Council members in an effort to Spread the Word to End the Word.

"The R-word, "retard," is slang for the term mental retardation. Mental retardation was what doctors, psychologists, and other professionals used to describe people with significant intellectual impairment. Today the r-word has become a common word used by society as an insult for someone or something stupid. For example, you might hear someone say, "That is so retarded" or "Don't be such a retard." When used in this way, the r-word can apply to anyone or anything, and is not specific to someone with a disability. But, even when the r-word is not said to harm someone with a disability, it is hurtful.The term "Intellectual Disability" is a legal replacement for the term "Mental Retardation" thanks to Rosa's Law signed October 5, 2010.

Self-Advocates from the Centre County Down Syndrome Society (CCDSS) created this video in support of the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign. Learn more about the CCDSS at www.centrecountydownsyndrome.org

'Spread the Word to End the Word' created by the Centre County Down Syndrome Society

The Golisano Foundation is challenging the Rochester, NY community to Spread the Word to End the Word to show its love and create a more accepting world for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have unique gifts and talents to share with the world.

Spread the Word to End the Word video created by Special Olympics Colorado Youth Activation Committee Members to create awareness about the r-word.

Check out this great video of singer/songwriter Sarah Marince and her brother Michael talking about the hurtful effects of the word "retard(ed)" and why you should take the pledge to stop saying the R-word and promote the inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities.

This mini-documentary was produced for the fall 2010 Essential Multimedia Skills Course final project and also to help in raising awareness of the "r-word" issue that is spreading across the country and world. This video was filmed on location at Roosevelt University (RU) in Chicago, IL by Daniel Smrokowski.

Learn more about the damaging impact of the r-word by watching this video featuring Special Olympics Virginia advocates and three powerful skits created by drama students at Massaponax High School in Spotsylvania County.

When guest Dick Morris used the R-word on the O'Reilly Factor, 120 youth with and without intellectual disabilities activated from their youth summit taking place at the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games to create this video and craft a letter that they sent to Bill O'Reilly. The second half of the video show's O'Reilly's response.

On the Aug. 19, 2010, episode of "Live with Regis and Kelly" actress Jennifer Aniston uses the word 'retard' in an off the cuff self-deprecating remark. Unfortunately this pervasive use of the R-word is too common in our society today, and this is just another illustration of its vast pervasiveness. Whether intentional or not, the R-word hurts people with intellectual disabilities and those that love them by equating their humanity to images of haplessness, incompetence or buffoonery. Footage from "Live with Regis and Kelly" is used only for educational and awareness purposes.

Mock-up of a PSA created in a high school theatre class that was submitted to Special Olympics as part of its Spread the Word to End the Word Campaign.