Passages, CCHS join forces to end use of hurtful words
March is Disability Awareness Month and through a cooperative effort with Columbia City High School, Passages is sponsoring an expression contest in which students are asked to do a creative piece focusing on how to sensitize people about the negative impact of using the “R” (retard) word.
Last year, Special Olympics started the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign. Legislation has also been introduced into Congress that will remove the words mental retardation from use by the Federal Government. Locally, Passages hopes to bring attention much closer to home with this creative campaign involving our community youth.
According to Tom O’Neill, president of Passages, the purpose of the contest is to educate young people about the negative impact of the “R” word. While the use of this word may mean little to the person using it, it can have a very negative and painful impact on others.
“The ‘R’ word is very hurtful to people with intellectual disabilities, as well as to their family and friends. The underlying theme of the expression contest is language and the impact of the words we use when speaking about others. We want people to become more aware of how certain words can frame how we think about people,” said O’Neill. To participate in this expression contest, students can write a poem or an essay, create a piece of art, write a song or anything else that creatively expresses their thoughts.
Details about this contest are available at Columbia City High School or by contacting Passages at 244-7688, ext. 131. Deadline to enter is March 11, 2010.
Alice Anderson of Passages and O’Neill, along with staff from Columbia City High School, will serve as judges. The expression contest will award three $75 prizes to Columbia City High School students at an event in March.