Thankfully, Spread the Word to End the Word and similar campaigns have attempted to mark words like “retarded” as taboo (however, 56 percent of Americans don’t think it’s offensive to call themselves the r-word, and 38 percent don’t find a problem in calling their friends it either). But left in their wake are “boom-boom,” “mental” and “slow.” Of course, any well-intentioned person can forget and succumb to using these words — but if we ever want to see full integration, we have to let them go.
Some say that nitpicking words like “crazy” and “lame” will just start another treating people with respect battle, and that there is no easy way to eliminate them. But before deeming this challenge “too hard,” think about how difficult it is for 48.9 million Americans to not only have a disability, but to be reminded of it in everyday conversations.
Another problem arises in the fact that two-thirds of people claim to be uncomfortable talking to people with disabilities because they don’t know how to act politely around them. This awkward silence is too often filled with well-meaning (yet meaningless) statements like “You’re God’s special gift.” But again, people who are uncomfortable around those with disabilities aren’t usually out to discriminate. However, with the rise of politicians like Donald Drumpf, who “mocked” a reporter with arthrogryposis, more citizens are following the path to discriminatory speech.