SAINT JOHN – Police forces across the Maritimes took the Special Olympics’ “Yellowcard” pledge Thursday. The goal of campaign is to eradicate the use of the offensive ‘R-word’ to describe people with intellectual disabilities.
“Yeah that would be retard,” said NB Special Olympic floor hockey player, Jacques Chiasson.
He says it’s a name he’s been called more than once and representatives from the Special Olympics says the term has been Tweeted more than 9.5 million times in the last year alone.
“I mean to call someone a retard because they make a mistake or are not as intellectually functional as other people is just offensive,” Chiasson said.
Yet the term is still being used today to describe people with intellectual disabilities. The Saint John Police Force’s new chief, John Bates, says it needs to stop.
“It’s not only harmful to people with an intellectual disability is it also harmful to their loved ones too. You know people utter those things and not even realizing they are hurting others.”
That’s why police forces in New Brunswick, Halifax and across the Maritimes are endorsing the Special Olympics “Yellowcard” campaign.
“I would like to see the word gone period wiped off the face of the earth,” said Special Olympics Coach Wayne Crandall
In Fredericton today, people were handing out yellow cards and putting up bright yellow posters across the downtown letting others know that the ‘R-word’ word is just not okay.
“It is not our fault that we were born with a disability, it is just nature,” said Special Olympian Terri Crandall.
Crandall and her team will represent their country at the National Special Olympic Games coming up in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador in March, and they’ve worked hard to get there.
“It took us six overtimes to get here. And our team is so happy to go,” she said.
She says they’ll represent Canada with honour and respect and only ask for the same in return.
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