Voice Your Choice - No More Use of the "R" word!

Hi5!

Now that's progressive!

OMRDD is now OPWDD (New York)

"The state Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities is now the Office For People With Developmental Disabilities - after a Red Room bill signing ceremony that for some inexplicable reason was closed to the press. The name change was prompted by the longstanding concerns of many in the disabled... community, who would like to see “retarded” and its derivations consigned to the same scrapheap where “cripple” now resides.Here’s the statement from Gov. David Paterson:"The historic legislation removed the words “Mental Retardation” from the name of the State agency and from State statute and regulations, and will take effect immediately.“This name change sends a strong message that New York values the dignity and respect of individuals with developmental disabilities” Governor Paterson said. “For many people with developmental disabilities the words ‘mental retardation’ are hurtful and represent a disrespectful term. The Office For People With Developmental Disabilities(OPWDD). The historic legislation removed the words “Mental Retardation” from the name of the State agency and from State statute and regulations, and will take effect immediately.

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“This name change sends a strong message that New York values the dignity and respect of individuals with developmental disabilities” Governor Paterson said. “For many people with developmental disabilities the words ‘mental retardation’ are hurtful and represent a disrespectful term. The Office For People With Developmental Disabilities is a name that respects their rights as people with developmental disabilities to have an agency name that invokes pride, and not shame.”


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