----- Original Message ----- From: "Justice For All Moderator" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 12:54 PM Subject: Mental Retardation Is No More
> Mental Retardation Is No More > - New Name Is Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities > > For Immediate Release > February 20, 2007 > > Anna Prabhala > 202.387.1968, Ext. 203 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Name change reflects society's efforts to appropriately address > people with cognitive disabilities > > Washington, DC (February 20, 2007)After almost 5 decades of being > called Mental Retardation, this influential journal in special > education changed names to Intellectual & Developmental > Disabilities under the leadership of Editor Steven J. Taylor. The > journal's name change is a microcosm of society's ongoing struggle > to find a socially acceptable way of addressing persons with an > intellectual disability. The new name comes close on the heels of > the name change of its publisher, the American Association on > Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, formerly AAMR, the > world's oldest organization representing professionals in > developmental disabilities. > > For all those who ask, "What's in a name?" Dr. Taylor says, "The > term intellectual and developmental disabilities is simply less > stigmatizing than mental retardation, mental deficiency, feeble- > mindedness, idiocy, imbecility, and other terminology we have cast > aside over the years." However, Taylor acknowledges that the crux > of the issue here goes beyond language and terminology into the > deeper issues of inclusion and acceptance of people with > intellectual disabilities in society. He explains, "Anyone who > believes that we have finally arrived at the perfect terminology > will be proven wrong by history. I am sure that at some future > point we will find the phrase intellectual and developmental > disabilities to be inadequate and demeaning." > > Vice-president of AAIDD, Steve Eidelman, like many other experts, > goes a step further and calls for a public education campaign to > foster more positive attitudes towards people with intellectual > disabilities. In an article published in a past issue of IDD, he > www.aaidd.org/Reading_Room/pdf/What%27sinaname_IDD_40_1_2002.pdf > said, "Changing the term (mental retardation) will make many > people happy. That happiness will quickly fade when the new term > is used as a pejorative. Without a long-term effort to include > everyone and to educate those with negative or neutral attitudes > toward our constituents, a change in terminology will become the > new pejorative very quickly." Eidelman's comments were made in the > midst of a debate on the name change of AAMR to its current day > name, AAIDD. > > Founded in 1963, Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities quickly > became the leading journal for research and opinion on practical > issues faced by professionals working with people who have > cognitive disabilities. The tagline of "Journal of Policy, > Practice, and Perspectives" reflects the unique editorial role of > IDD in the field of developmental disabilities. The journal is > noteworthy for Perspectives, a selection of articles hand-picked > by the editor to reflect voices not usually represented in > empirical research. Also, the column Trends & Milestones contains > ready-to-use, quantitative data for researchers and policymakers > on pressing issues such as public funding of disability programs > and the decline of population in state institutions over the past > several decades. > > Over the years, Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities has > shaped public consensus in the disability field by featuring > rigorous debates on contentious topics. A series of articles in > http://aaidd.allenpress.com/aamronline/?request=get-toc&; > issn=0047-6765&volume=36&issue=5 > the late 1990s on the mortality of people living in institutions > dispelled the commonly held belief that the community was unsafe > for people with intellectual disabilities. More recently, IDD > http://aaidd.allenpress.com/aamronline/?request=get-toc&; > issn=0047-6765&volume=44&issue=6 > featured studies on how family contact and consumer-directed > supports had better economic, health, and social outcomes on lives > of people with developmental disabilities as opposed to being > confined to institutions. Arguably, among the most memorable are > the impassioned articles by Robert Perske, a tireless advocate for > people with intellectual disabilities in the criminal justice > system. The powerful prose of Perske is reflected in articles such > www.aaidd.org/Reading_Room/pdf/IDD_RichardLapointe_39_5_2001.pdf > as, "We Believe Richard Lapointe Did Not Kill Bernice Martin," > "Search for Persons With Intellectual Disabilities Who Confessed > to Serious Crimes They Did Not Commit," and "Deception in the > www.aaidd.org/Reading_Room/pdf/IDD_Searchfor_43_1_2005.pdf > Interrogation Room." > http://www.aaidd.org/Reading_Room/pdf/Deception_IDD.pdf > > Readers of IDD welcomed the name change: > > "I think the new masthead on one of the most widely read and > influential journals in our field will play an important role in > promoting wider adoption of new, less offending terminologies," > says Charlie Lakin, a noted researcher at the University of > Minnesota. > > "It is heartening to anticipate the first issue of the journal > flying under a new flagIDD. The journal ... has recently extended > its sweep to capture new knowledge across an array of topics: > therapies, statistical data, the history of intellectual > disabilities, ideas from the interdisciplinary field of disability > studies and more ...becoming more global in scope. Long may it > flourish," says Patricia Noonan Walsh, Professor at the Centre for > Disability Studies in Ireland. > > Click here to read a list of articles in the current issue of > Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities. > http://aaidd.allenpress.com/aamronline/?request=get-toc&issn=1934- > 9556&volume=45&issue=1 > > Click here for subscription information or call (785)-843-1235. > http://aaidd.allenpress.com/aamronline/?request=index-html > > Founded in 1876, AAIDD promotes progressive policies, sound > research, effective practices, and universal human rights for > people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. To learn > about AAIDD, visit www.aaidd.org. > > Source: American Association on Intellectual and Developmental > Disabilities > 444 North Capitol Street NW Suite 846 > Washington, D.C. 20001-1512 > Tel (202)387-1968 | Fax (202)387-2193 | www.aaidd.org > ________________________________________________________________ > > For more disability news issues, see: > http://www.aapd.com/News/disability/indexdisability.php > > # # # > > MODERATOR, Anne Sommers, JUSTICE FOR ALL -- A Service of the > American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). To > contact Anne, please email her at [EMAIL PROTECTED] To > respond to a JFA alert or to submit an article, please see > http://www.aapd.com/JFA/JFAcontent.html. > > DISCLAIMER: The JFA Listserv is designed to share information > of interest to people with disabilities and promote dialogue > in the disability community. Information circulated does not > necessarily express the views of AAPD. 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