← Back to CalendarOctober 5
Rosa's Law Anniversary
The anniversary of Rosa's Law, signed in 2010, which replaced the term 'mental retardation' with 'intellectual disability' in a range of federal laws, including education and rehabilitation laws. The law recognized that language shapes dignity and treatment.
History
Rosa's Law, Public Law 111-256, was enacted on October 5, 2010, during the Obama administration. It changed references in federal law from mental retardation to intellectual disability, reflecting long-standing advocacy against stigmatizing language.
How to Participate
- →Reflect on the power of language in shaping how we see and treat people with disabilities
- →Audit the language used in your organization's policies and communications
- →Learn about the broader disability justice movement's approach to language
- →Support advocacy efforts to update outdated and harmful language in remaining laws and institutions
LANGUAGELAWDIGNITYINTELLECTUAL-DISABILITY