Why the return of a long-rejected word is worrying US disability advocates


Helena Donato-Sapp, a high school junior in Long Beach in California was shocked when she heard a classmate use the R-word, a term she associates with shame. Photo: The New York Times/Jessica Pons

In December, a woman posted a photograph on social media of a purple hat she had knitted, while a black-and-white dog lounged on the carpet a few feet away. The cozy scene was accompanied by a single sentence: "This hat is an hour behind schedule thanks to influencer retards."

The proud knitter, Harmeet K. Dhillon, is also the assistant attorney general overseeing the United States' Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Her purview includes protecting the rights of people with intellectual disabilities by ensuring compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

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