By Jason Misner
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, HDSB STAFF

Connor Hammond says we need to respect everyone regardless of ability or success. That starts by choosing the words we use very carefully.

“I think it’s really great to encourage the entire school population not to put people down and to hold everyone in the same light,” the Oakville Trafalgar High School Grade 11 student says.

From December 8-16, Oakville Trafalgar High School issued a pledge to help eliminate hurtful and derogatory words. The initiative, called Spread the word to end the R-word, was created by a committee of the Special Olympics in 2008 to urge people to cease using the word “retard”, or the R-word, when describing a person. The school encouraged others to think before they speak. The school handed out business-sized cards to encourage people to avoid using the R-word.

Oakville Trafalgar High School’s Lunch Buddies Club – a group of student volunteers who provide inspirational leadership for their peers with developmental challenges – created a giant pledge form for students and staff to sign. It was placed in the lobby of the school. Approximately 800 people signed it. The pledge states: "I pledge and support the elimination of the derogatory use of the R-word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities." 

Karen Eschlboeck, Educational Assistant with OTHS, says she’s heard use of the word and wanted to teach students why it should not be said. She searched out ways to raise awareness and came across the Special Olympics website and thought its Spread the R-word to end the word campaign would resonate with young people.

“It’s not a nice thing to call somebody,” she says about the R-word. “We work with special needs students in the school and the Lunch Buddies Club is all about working with special needs students. We thought it was our duty and job to do this. It’s about treating people with respect. Treat people how you want to be treated. It’s not right to marginalize anybody for any reason.”

Eschlboeck notes teachers have said they have had conversations about the initiative with students.

“By raising awareness, we hope to help create a more accepting world for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and all those people who may appear different, but have unique gifts and talents to share with all of us,” says Eschlboeck.

Oakville Trafalgar High School Principal Julie Hunt Gibbons is proud her school took on the initiative.

“I am very proud of the initiative shown by our students, both those who started the campaign as well as those who have taken the pledge. The R-word is among other words in our vocabulary that are offensive because it is derogatory and exclusionary. It is my hope our students' actions will remind them to consciously choose all of their words. Words can and do hurt – and we have power to choose our vocabulary.”

For more information, visit www.lunchbuddiesclub.com or www.r-word.org.