Quote:
Originally Posted by CobraKai
It's not just the word - it's what the word contributes to.According to Special Olympics, less than 10% of people with intellectual disabilities in the United States are employed, compared to 50% of U.S. Special Olympics athletes, compared to 92% of the general population. By using the r-word, people indirectly help ostracize those with intellectual disabilities – by increasing awareness of the issue, we can help foster a greater acceptance of those with intellectual disabilities into our community.
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While I think your premise is likely correct, this isn't particularly compelling evidence of how these individuals are affected.
Did these individuals have full employment 3 decades ago, before the term "retarded" entered the general lexicon as a slang term? Is it really in the best interests of the whole for widespread employment? How much of this is self-selection (presumably, those who seek out endeavors such as Special Olympics will be those who seek out challenges such as employment as well) versus an actual societal viewpoint?
This is much more complex than we've really allowed for so far in this conversation.