Hurtful words you would never use to describe a kid these days, like retard and crippled, are part of Pennsylvania’s Public School Code. The code is a combination of school laws which was put in place by lawmakers in 1949. But, now there’s a push to eliminate some of those derogatory terms. The code has been amended a few times since its creation. But the derogatory terms in the code have been there since it was passed. Lawmakers across the state want that to change this year.
30 years ago, the word retard didn’t have the negative connotation it has today. Now that word, and many others in the Pennsylvania Public School Code are considered hurtful… but not only to those with special needs.
"It's pretty embarrassing when you look at it historically but there are a lot of terms and phrases that are in the school code that just don't mesh with today's standards," said Rep. Pat Harkins, who represents Erie County.
Rep. Harkins wants the words crippled, defective, disturbed, handicapped, and retard, removed from the code. He first introduced legislation to remove those terms in 2013, but it was never voted on. He plans to try again and hopes to make it a priority for others in the House of Representatives.
"Those are the kinds of things we should move forward with rather than selling lotteries and state stores and everything else," said Harkins.
"People kind of just throw the R word out there, they don't even realize how it stings when people who have disabilities hear it," said Maureen Cronin, the executive director of the Arc of Pennsylvania.
The Arc of Pennsylvania serves people with intellectual and developmental special needs. Cronin has always worked closely with people with special needs. She recalls the first time she saw the word "retarded" used to describe her son.
"He was born with disabilities and the first time I saw that in writing and had his name - my beautiful baby son who's perfect in every way - have this label of mental retardation.. It just really knocked the air out of me. It's like a kick in the stomach," said Cronin.
"This is the right time. We need to keep moving and getting through our laws to make sure that they really mirror the respectful language that we mirror every day," said Cronin.
Representative Harkins says this legislation has had bipartisan support in the past. He says the only thing that could hold it back is the cost of making the change, although he doesn't think it would be that expensive.
