My name is Richard Connelly, and I’m a proud Special Olympics athlete from Wichita, Kansas. I was born with an intellectual disability and autism, and I’ve spent my whole life proving that I am capable, strong, and deserving of respect, just like anyone else.
But too often, people don’t see that. They see a label. They see a word, the R-word, and think it’s okay to use it like it means nothing. But to me, and to so many people like me, that word is not just a word. It’s hurtful. It’s degrading. It dismisses who I am.
When people called me the R-word growing up whether it was on the school bus, in the hallway, even sometimes from adults, it cut deep. It made me feel like I didn’t belong. Like I wasn’t good at anything. But the truth is, I am good at things. I’ve faced challenges, and I’ve overcome them. That word doesn’t define me. My courage does.
People sometimes use the R-word without thinking about what it means. But it’s not funny. It’s not harmless. It hurts. It’s time to stop using words that tear people down and start using words that lift people up, words like human being and respect.
In Special Olympics, we live by a simple motto: Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt. That’s how I try to live every day, by being brave, kind, and proud of who I am. And that’s why I want others to see that people with intellectual disabilities are not less than anyone else. We are part of the same human family.
To anyone reading this, I ask you to join me. Choose respect. Choose inclusion. Stop using the R-word, not just because it hurts, but because we can all do better. We can make the world a place where everyone belongs, and where no one has to feel less than human because of a word.
Words matter. Let’s make ours count.
