State Senator Andy Dinniman on Wednesday said his Senate Bill 458 is now before the House of Representatives’ Human Services Committee, and he is confident that House members will approve the legislation this fall in a show of respect for Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities.
“Words do matter,” Dinniman said. “They can either convey disrespect and ignorance or respect and understanding.”
“And that is the objective and message of this bill,” Dinniman continued. “It is a way for the Commonwealth to publicly state and show that it values those Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and that it will thus use words that convey that respect.”
Senate Bill 458 would amend the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Act of 1966 and rename it the Mental Health and Intellectual Disability Act. The language change applies to and makes language changes to the entire act’s 34 pages, which defines the term and controls the Department of Public Welfare’s use of the term. Already, some county agencies including Chester County’s have updated their department titles with more appropriate terms.
Arc of Chester County Executive Director Diane Carey on Wednesday said, “The Arc of Chester County applauds Senator Dinniman for taking the leadership in making this important change in the language of the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Act of 1966. We hope this is just the first step in changing attitudes in our Commonwealth about people with intellectual disabilities.”
Senator Dinniman introduced Senate Bill 458 after attending an event hosted by Speaking for Ourselves and the Arc of Chester County that noted the need where participants pledged to refrain from using the words “retard” or “retarded” and encourage others to do the same. Senator Dinniman signed the pledge and introduced Senate Bill 458 in an effort to move past this archaic and hurtful terminology in favor of language that is proper and accepted by the community of those with intellectual disabilities.
Cynthia McCurdy of West Pikeland is a spokeswoman for Rejoicing Spirits, an innovative ministry that reaches out to enrich the spiritual lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, friends and other supportive community members.
On Thursday, McCurdy said, “This legislation represents more than just a name change; it represents a shift in how we think about people with intellectual disabilities. Moving away from the negative connotations associated with the outdated language will certainly help to foster the respect and dignity our friends with intellectual disabilities truly deserve. I applaud Senator Dinniman for his sensitivity to and for this issue, his impact will be great."
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