Semester 2: Week 7

You may have heard about Spread the Word to End the Word. This was a campaign initially created to address the use of a harmful word: the “R word”, “retard(ed).” “In 2019, Spread the Word to End the Word became Spread the Word, with a focus not just on the elimination of a word but on the creation of a new reality: inclusion for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities” (Spread the Word, n.d.-a). 

As Peer Supports, we encourage you to advocate for the use of language and actions that are respectful to and inclusive of people with intellectual disabilities. You have the knowledge and power to be a force of change and show others how to include. This week, we encourage you to take the pledge to “Spread the Word Inclusion.”

Instructions: 

First, watch Spread the Word: Inclusion.

Next, read The Effects of the R-Word.

Then, review the Spread the Word Inclusion Pledge and consider taking it.

Finally, complete the Week 7 Reflection.