‘Retardation’ cut from state lexicon

Michelle Muralt wept as Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a bill into law Monday that requires officials to replace the term "mental retardation" with "intellectual disabilities" in state programs.

"We just want people to know that the MR-word is not a correct word for calling other people names. We just want people to know so others will not be hurt by being called the MR-word," said Muralt, an instructor at Lanakila Pacific, a nonprofit organization in Liliha that helps people with disabilities live more independent lives.

Abercrombie said before signing House Bill 761, "Words are very, very important. We’ve all heard that ‘sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.’ And that’s not true. Names can hurt. Words are attached to feeling. Words are a reflection of culture."

The law mirrors a federal law enacted in October by President Barack Obama. The federal law is known as Rosa’s Law, named after Rosa Marcellino, a 9-year-old Maryland girl with Down syndrome whose family sought to eliminate the use of the term mentally retarded.

Rosa’s Law replaces that term with "intellectual disability" in federal services and labor laws.

"In line with (Rosa’s Law) we felt that it would be a good time to spearhead Hawaii’s initiative to eliminate the R-word from our Hawaii Revised Statutes," said Waynette Cabral, executive administrator of the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Present at Monday’s bill signing were members of service providers Arc of Hawaii, Easter Seals Hawaii, Goodwill Industries, Lanakila Pacific and the Special Education Center of Hawaii.

"It’s a wonderful thing that happened today. This is a victory for those who are disabled to feel more a part of society," said Kay Shiroma, a Lanakila Teaching and Learning Center instructor.

The bill was introduced by state Rep. John Mizuno, House Human Services chairman.

"The law not only takes away the hurtful stigma from that word, but it also shows that we support the disabled in their efforts to be self-sufficient," said Mizuno (D, Kalihi).