College of Education News

Equipped with flowered rain boots, Caity Collins was not about to let the showers dampen her toes nor her spirits as she unpacked buttons and stickers stating, “SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD.” That slogan acted as title of the National Awareness Day established by Special Olympics, urging people to think about the hurtful effects of using the “r-word,” or the word, “retard” as an insult. Collins, a sophomore Special Education major, encouraged her student group Epsilon Delta to partner with Champaign County Down Syndrome Network to promote awareness.

“We had about 35 volunteers at the Illini Union event,” said Jennifer Schrad, a member of the Down Syndrome Network and mother whose baby daughter has Down syndrome. She said she was pleased with the turnout of curious onlookers, as well as volunteers. “The number of people who RSVP'd on our Facebook event to attend either the Illini Union or middle/high schools event was 76.”

Alongside the buttons and stickers, a laptop allowed people to visit www.r-word.org, a site sponsored by Special Olympics, where visitors could take a pledge to stop using the “r-word”. Flyers draped the table, promoting phrases like “‘R-word’ is hate speech,” or “Words Matter.” Each volunteer donned a T-shirt with the signature slogan, “SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD.” Collins said her goal for the day was to inspire awareness in others about the hurtful and dehumanizing effects of the word.

“I feel that since this is a term that was once used to categorize individuals with disabilities, it became a commonly used word that began to be used too much and in a negative manner,” Collins said. “Not only does it hurt others, but once someone begins to hear this word used about them, they begin to believe it.”

Now more than ever is an important time to highlight the word’s repercussions, said Wendy Barker, president of Champaign County Down Syndrome Network. “Last Summer a movie came out called Tropic Thunder, and it really created a firestorm of controversy in the community because of the way the term ‘retard’ was used.”

Barker said she suspects that controversy contributed to this first-ever day of awareness. When her group decided it would like to join the 700+ other groups promoting the event nation-wide, Barker approached Collins, who had been volunteering with the Down Syndrome Network for more than a year.

“I knew many members of Epsilon Delta would be interested in this event, so I presented this to our group and they all jumped at the idea of helping,” Collins said, adding that many students from her Education cohort also stepped forward.

Barker was impressed with the numbers who offered help. “I look forward to working with Epsilon Delta in the future,” she said, mentioning the Buddy Walk in the fall, an advocacy walk to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome, as well as raise funds for education, research and advocacy programs.

Despite the drizzle splattering the blue tent and wind whipping the balloons into a tangle, Collins beamed with a smile.

“If we could stop using this word and think about how hurtful it is, I think we will not only be more caring people, “ Collins said. “But also give every person the confidence they need to succeed.”

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