As Violet, a student under a pseudonym, scanned the test paper that had just been returned to her for a score, she overheard her tablemates bickering. “How’d you do so bad on that test? What are you, r*tarded?” Immediately, she became uncomfortable, recognizing the unkind and offensive attitude that many of her classmates held toward their peers with special needs. This was the first of many times she would hear this word used at Lowell.
Many Lowell students seem to believe that it is acceptable to use the R-word as an insult or “joke.” Both in and out of the classroom, this offensive slur is often used to call someone “unintelligent,” and is so commonly used that students have become desensitized to the word. However, this slur is insensitive and derogatory, and its prevalence at Lowell harms an important part of our community. Lowell students should stop using offensive and ableist language. We need to make our school a kinder and more compassionate environment for our peers with disabilities.
For many years, the R-word was considered a socially acceptable term. It was not officially recognized as a slur in court until President Obama passed Rosa’s Act in 2010, which banned the use of the R-word in legal documents. One could argue that because the R-word has only recently been recognized as a slur, people are still learning not to say it, and therefore, its use is not significantly problematic. However, the use of this word, regardless of someone’s intentions, deeply affects Lowell’s special needs community. Even when it’s not said directly to students with disabilities, the R-word makes the Lowell environment seem more hostile and unsafe for these students.
For some Lowell students, name-calling and teasing their friends with the R-word has become a habit. Adrian Rizo, a Special Day Class (SDC) teacher in an autism-focused classroom, has observed the R-word used more often between abled students than from an abled student to a student with disabilities. This is an example of covert ableism: when people know not to be hateful directly to resource students, sometimes referred to as special education students, but will spew offensive remarks at their friends regardless. When Rizo has observed the R-word being used at school, he says it feels as though the community has a lack of compassion and respect for resource students, even if the R-word is just being used between friends.
Many resource students at Lowell say that they have not encountered any use of the R-word at school. However, there is room for improvement in making it a more welcoming place for students with disabilities. Janna Rudolf, a teacher for the deaf and deaf-blind at Lowell, advocates for respectful curiosity, believing that asking questions with genuine interest will reduce the separation and stigma surrounding students with disabilities. “If you’re curious, stay curious, ask questions from a curious place and a respectful place,” she said. Rizo says that simply trying your best to be inclusive and mindful of your language can help resource students feel more welcomed within the school community. “It would be nice to see more of an effort from the population,” Rizo said. “[Lowell students] aren’t experts either. We’re all just people, so I think effort goes a long way.”
Lowell High School should be a safe and accepting community for all its students. No matter their differences, students should respect their peers, especially those who deal with discrimination on and off campus. When one group is mistreated, it affects everyone, creating an environment based on judgment and hostility rather than acceptance. When the R-word is used as a “joke” between friends, it diminishes its severity. The continual use of this word in a joking manner fuels the idea that it is inoffensive. In reality, the R-word is a form of hate speech that degrades and disregards people with special needs. Eliminating the use of the R-word at Lowell will create a safer, more welcoming environment for all.
