Retarded

[Amy West]

I also have a background as a group home direct care staff and our
term back then was "resident" or "client" (used in the sheltered
workshop setting). I heard a wonderful poem on Garrison Keillor's
Writer's Almanac(?) about how to tell if you were "staff" or "client"
in such a workshop setting: it was really wonderful.

The use of "retarded" as a pejorative or not term has been discussed
in my classroom by students with the role of personal interaction
strongly dictating one's use (or not). I personally tend not to use
it as a pejorative. However, I did in fact  quite profusely apply it
to a new cash register system at my museum job this weekend. I
maintain that it was merely a descriptive use. :-)

---Amy West

>Date:    Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:55:58 -0400
>From:    David Donnell <David.Donnell at EARTHLINK.NET>
>Subject: Re: Retarded
>
>Correction: a friend working in the field of mental retardation
>brought me up to date:
>
>>The current acceptable term in the field is "Individuals with
>>Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities" shortened to
>>"Individuals". This replaces "Persons with Intellectual and
>>Developmental Disabilities".
>>
>>It's retarded!

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