'Rosa's Law': Labels can do real damage
‘Political correctness” comes in for a lot of mockery these days, and it is silly to fuss about niceties of language when more substantive issues are at stake.
But sometimes the words are the problem. And there’s no earthly reason for the government to cling to terms that many find offensive, as well as inaccurate.
That’s where “Rosa’s Law” comes in.
Rosa Marcellino, an active 9-year-old from Edgewater, has Down syndrome, a chromosomal condition associated with intellectual disabilities and health problems. Rosa’s family didn’t like it when she was labeled “mentally retarded” on paperwork at Central Elementary School, where she was enrolled in kindergarten. They started a campaign to get government to drop its official uses of the term.
via Our Say: ‘Rosa’s Law’: Labels can do real damage (www.HometownGlenBurnie.com – The Maryland Gazette).
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About The Author
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts is founder of Support for Special Needs and has been a regular contributor since its inception in May 2010. A mom to two kids with special needs, she didn't want other parents to feel what is the often isolating world of raising a child (or two!) with disabilities. Her kids had kidney transplants at the age of eight and will need liver transplants in the future as a result of ARPKD/CHF. They both have vision disorders and learning disabilities.