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Decision to drop 'mental retardation' term delights mental health community
July 21, 2009
By ANGELA ASSAF
A mandate to drop the words "mental retardation" from county boards and departments is a politically correct move in the right direction, agree many area mental health officials who praised Gov. Ted Strickland's recent signing of Senate Bill 79.
The new measure will become law within 90 days.
"I'm not sure that most people outside of the mental health field understand that mental retardation is a developmental disability, so using them both in the name for a county board is really a redundant phrase," remarked Bruce Abell, superintendent of the Williams County Board of DD.
When the idea of changing the names of county boards was first presented, Abell recalled there was some concern that if the term were removed, the public may be confused and not know or simply forget that a county board continues to serve the community.
"In reality, the name change might mean we have to do a little better job at making sure that members of the public know that a county board of developmental disabilities includes providing services for individuals with mental retardation," he explained.
More importantly, he added, he sees it as one more avenue the mental health community can use to "help remove the stigma" that is often associated with people with disabilities and "promote lives" for them which provide "accomplishment, fulfillment and dignity."
"Most people today understand that retardation has become a derogatory term and is often used to insult or degrade someone," continued Abell. "Certainly, the people that we serve have feelings and understand when someone uses a phrase, such as 'retarded,' against them."
Rick Edmonds, superintendent of the Defiance County Board of DD, better recognized as Good Samaritan School, said the new law will not change how the Defiance board operates.
"Our signage and letterhead will change, but our eligibility requirements will not change." Excluding letterheads, he estimated the cost at $1,000-$1,500. This entails replacing the signs on a couple of its buses as well as new office signage, "nothing drastic," he concluded.
Having served Good Sam in the same position for 17 years, Edmonds said, "I have been very impressed with the way this community accepts individuals with disabilities. You don't necessarily see that in every county across the state."
The new law also does not affect the Fulton County Board of DD or Henry County Board of DD (HOPE Services). The two boards dropped the "MR" from their titles back in 1991 after eight other boards in the state took the initiative to take the same action.
"It's being done for the same reasons today that it was 20 years ago," remarked Fulton County Board of DD superintendent Beth Friess.
"There were many clients who along with their families expressed concern that the label was being used in a derogatory fashion and were calling for it to be removed from the title," she recalled.
"It became something that we were able to do and people were pleased that we did it. We still provide the same services to the same people. The name change was something positive."
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