R-Word Awareness Day
By: WROC-TV
Updated: March 6, 2013
Strong Memorial is hosting a day long pledge drive to end the use of a derogatory word used to describe people with intellectual disabilities.
The "Spread the word to end the word" campaign began a couple of years ago. Members of the Golisano Foundation, University of Rochester Medical Center and Special Olympics will be in the Strong Hospital cafeteria until 4:30 Wednesday afternoon encouraging people to come in and sign a pledge not to use the r-word.
The goal is to create a more accepting world for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, such as Peter Dailey of Webster. "It's very hurtful," said Dailey of the r-word. "It really hurts everybody who has disabilities from inside and out."
Ann Costello is the Director of the Golisano Foundation. "When people use the word I don't think they mean to be hurtful, but it does hurt, and words do matter, and we need to be careful and think about what we say and how we describe individuals," she said.
If you would like to sign the pledge but cannot make it to Strong Hospital in person, you can take part by signing the pledge online, click here.
The "Spread the word to end the word" campaign began a couple of years ago. Members of the Golisano Foundation, University of Rochester Medical Center and Special Olympics will be in the Strong Hospital cafeteria until 4:30 Wednesday afternoon encouraging people to come in and sign a pledge not to use the r-word.
The goal is to create a more accepting world for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, such as Peter Dailey of Webster. "It's very hurtful," said Dailey of the r-word. "It really hurts everybody who has disabilities from inside and out."
Ann Costello is the Director of the Golisano Foundation. "When people use the word I don't think they mean to be hurtful, but it does hurt, and words do matter, and we need to be careful and think about what we say and how we describe individuals," she said.
If you would like to sign the pledge but cannot make it to Strong Hospital in person, you can take part by signing the pledge online, click here.
