The disAbility Law Center of Virginia is deeply concerned to see the use of the R-word in the national media. Make no mistake: the R-word is a slur meant to denigrate people with disabilities. Any explanation otherwise is an insult to the disability community and erasure of the work that disability advocates have been doing for decades.
To learn more about the history of the R word and why it’s so harmful, see The R-Word: Why Language Matters and How We Can Do Better