Sussex Technical High School students joined students worldwide Wednesday, March 3, in a grassroots movement to raise awareness about the negative impact of the slang word “retard(ed)” – or the “R” word – and to encourage people to eliminate its derogatory use in casual conversation.
Led by junior Abby Cellini, students had the opportunity to sign a 10-foot banner challenging people to think before they speak. After signing the banner, everyone received a sticker representing their pledge to show respect to everyone by not using the “R” word.
Abby hopes the banner will be hung in the school to remind everyone that the “R” word overshadows the abilities that a person has and instead highlights the differences rather than exploring all the things people have in common.
Spread the Word to End the Word is an educational campaign to raise awareness regarding the hurtfulness of the slang use of the derogatory word “retarded.” The campaign is sponsored by a united effort of Special Olympics Delaware, Best Buddies Delaware, Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Cognitive Disabilities and the Down Syndrome Association of Delaware.
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