7 News Belize

Stella Maris Students Ask to Ban the 'R' Word
posted (March 3, 2010)

“Retarded” – about 50 years ago it was the clinical term used to describe persons with developmental disabilities. But it is actually a discriminatory word, and more than that it’s offensive and mean. And so, last year Belize joined the world in banning the “R” word and today we met some of Belize’s special students as they were spreading the word about the “R” word.

Keith Swift Reporting,
These special need students from Stella Maris say the “R” word is a bad word.

Crissada Baptist, 13 years old
“They just have to stop call that word because we nuh feel good.”

Emil Tremaine Vernon, 11 years old
“We feel bad. I feel like I want to cry because the word nuh nice.”

And that is the message they took to drivers this morning near the Palotti Roundabout.

Students Chanting: “We are special, ban the R word…we are special ban the R word.”

Myrna Elliot, Teacher - Stella Maris School
“The children they know, they know how they feel and when that word is being used it hurts them. They expressed their feelings already through a world summit they had for rights of the disabled child. They know how they feel when we use it."

Students Singing: I am special….I am very special…God made me.”

Myrna Elliot,
“We are asking them to honk their horns when the children are out here saying ban the R word just honk their horns so they know they will stop using it. It makes them feel embarrassed. It is a word that was used in the years aback, they used to use it, but as the world got more advanced in technology and words and so on, they feel now that they shouldn’t use retarded. Retarded is a word that isn’t in their vocabulary. They want it in it because it makes them feel embarrassed.”

And so if not the R word then what do you call them?

Keith Swift,
“What would you want people to call you?”

Glen Bowen, 13 years old
“A normal person, call me Glen.”

Myrna Elliott,
“They could always call them their friends, they can do everything the same like the other guys out there and kids.”

Crissada Baptist,
“We want to tell them to stop use the word. Please stop the tease people who they think retarded.”

The ban the R Word Campaign is an initiative led by the Special Olympics.

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