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Democrat’s Bill Uses The Word Retarded

Though I find nothing wrong or demeaning when using the word retarded in medical descriptions, the word has been maligned over the years and advocates for the developmentally disabled do not like it. There are so many negative connotations that they prefer it not be used.

The health care bill the Democrats are pushing forward uses the word retarded in describing facilities that treat the developmentally disabled.

The proposed health-insurance bill from the House of Representatives refers to mentally disabled people as “retarded” — a term advocates, relatives and physicians find outdated and offensive.

The bill refers to: “A hospital or a nursing facility or intermediate-care facility for the mentally retarded . . .” New York Post

This is not an inappropriate statement. Mental retardation has a medical definition (listed in the DSM-IV) and there are parameters which are used to diagnose someone as mentally retarded. One of the parameters is an IQ below 70.

While advocates oppose the word and its use the fact is, it is a medical term and is used to describe the developmentally disabled.

That description is much different than the description of retard when used to describe members of Congress. That would be the one that has led advocates to call for people not to use the term.

Big Dog

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