FEEDBACK RECEIVED ON ELIMINATING
‘MENTAL RETARDATION’ FROM COUNTY BOARD NAME
February 2007

I fully support the name change for the Belmont County Board.  I feel the terms ”Developmental Disabilities" says it all.  This change is definitely a move in the right direction for a board that has done a very good job in its duties, including finding ways to help the individuals they support gain respect and acceptance in the community. I think most parents with children who have disabilities would agree.

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I think anytime we can change to keep from labeling people it’s so much better for them and their families.

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I wholeheartedly agree with the proposed decision by the Belmont County Board of MRDD to eliminate the term "mental retardation" from its title. I vigorously applaud the proposed decision to eradicate this term from the title. However, I am not entirely satisfied with the term "developmental disability" in the title. I fear that the term "disability," if incorporated into the title, would elicit feelings of sympathy, pity, or, even worse, apathy amongst members of the community.  I am quite humbly, and sometimes painfully, aware of certain disabilities that I possess. However, I am identified, and prefer to be identified, by others, for my strengths and accomplishments, rather than by my disabilities. We all have special needs and challenges.

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 I think we need to drop MR and DD completely. No more labels. What about Belmont Board?

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I like the new name much better.  It's shorter and I agree, there can be a stigma with the term "mental retardation."  In a world of "political correctness" it is always a good idea to avoid offending anyone.

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I think a name change would be fine.  I personally don't have a stigma problem with mental retardation, after all, sometimes there's only so many ways to describe something.  It's the term 'retard' aimed at an individual that's hurtful.  I'm in favor of a name change, and I'm sure a good decision will be made.

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I am a parent.  I have always had a hard time with the term mentally retarded.  I have never been able to call my son that and am very much in favor of a name change.

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I am in favor of the proposed name change to the Belmont County Board of Developmental Disabilities.  Doing so would remove one more public label that is too easily attached to individuals with mental retardation.  Developmental Disabilities encompasses it all without that label.

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