WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Congressional Down Syndrome Task Force – Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), today reintroduced legislation that would update the District of Columbia (D.C.) Code by eliminating the words “mentally retarded” and replacing it with language that better respects the dignity of individuals with disabilities.

 

In 2010, Congress passed Rosa’s Law which eliminated the word “mental retardation” from federal law. However, Title 11 of the D.C. Code still uses various forms of those words and can only be amended by Congress. The Words Matter for the District of Columbia Courts Act would replace the term with “persons of moderate intellectual disabilities.”

 

“Individuals with disabilities deserve to be respected and valued,” said Sen. Moran. “Language that is degrading to individuals with disabilities should be eliminated from our laws and courts. This legislation makes certain the D.C. courts are using language that is both accurate, appropriate and maintains the dignity of all people.”

 

“Our words have power, and every person deserves to be treated with respect and dignity,” said Sen. Peters. “It’s long past time to remove this derogatory language from D.C. code, so that we can better ensure every individual is treated with compassion and decency.”

“Words indisputably matter,” said Rep. Norton. “Certain words can become antiquated and offensive over time, and I am pleased to be joined by a bipartisan group of lawmakers in modernizing the D.C. Code. My own daughter, Katherine, has Down syndrome. I’m appalled at the thought of someone using the ‘R-word’ slur toward her, and it is beyond the pale that the derogatory term is still a part of the D.C. Code.”

This legislation is also supported by the National Down Syndrome Society, National Down Syndrome Caucus, Global Down Syndrome Foundation, Association of University Centers on Disabilities, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities and Special Olympics.

# # #