The following is an excerpt from Mashable’s article, “Why are people using the R-word again,” which details the ways social media has led to a rise in the use of the R-word.
Over the years, there have been movements to eradicate the word—which Nease says has "long been weaponized to demean and marginalize people with disabilities"—from our vocabulary. For instance, in 2009, the Special Olympics launched a campaign called "Spread The Word to End the Word," aimed at raising awareness about the damaging effects of the R-word and encouraging people to pledge to stop using it. Over time, the campaign has made a significant impact in schools.
"'Spread The Word' is a hugely popular activity for our students to get involved in because it is very tangible, it is very specific, and kids have a lot of experience with this word and with bullying and teasing and inappropriate language in general," Andrea Cahn, the Senior Vice President of the Unified Champion Schools at the Special Olympics who works with the Spread the Word campaign, told Mashable. "So it's something they can take real action on and see the change."
Eventually, students began giving feedback that the campaign needed to evolve, Cahn said. They reported that the R-word was rarely used anymore and wanted to shift the focus toward other ways to promote inclusion while still maintaining the original mission.
