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By Al Etmanski Some of you may have heard it on the playground. Others might have used it in jest. I’m not going to write it. I’m just going to call it the R-word because it’s that disgusting. It’s a slur against people with intellectual disabilities that you will see peppered in many news stories. NFL player Janoris Jenkins was cut from the New York Giants for using the word; Khloé Kardashian promised to “do better” after she was called out on social media for employing the R-word in public posts; as was far-right pundit Ann Coulter, kicking off a national campaign in protest. ....
According to a Leger survey, 48 per cent of Canadians use the word or hear someone called or referred to as the R-word every week. The word represents one of the most stubborn and persistent stigmas in history. It strikes at the heart of the dehumanization experienced by a group of people with disabilities who have been marginalized and oppressed throughout history. This dehumanization has led to bullying and rejection and, in some cases, sterilization, incarceration and genocide. Those like Neufeld who use the word off-handedly are likely unaware of its origin and its link to words like dumb, imbecile, idiot and moron. ....