Words Matter

One of my guiding principles has always been that the best ideas come from listening to people and the stories of their lives.

That's what happened when I visited a school in Anne Arundel County for special needs children last spring. I was there talking about how the federal government was closing the gap on funding for special education. Before visiting a few classrooms, I sat down with teachers, parents, and administrators to hear about what they faced day-to-day and what concerns they wanted me to take back to Washington.

That's when I first met Rosa's mom.

She told me Rosa had been labeled as a child with mental retardation in her Individual Education Plan, a federally mandated plan devised by states for students with special needs. The "R-word" wasn't one that Rosa's mom allowed in her house and wasn't a word that any of Rosa's three siblings used when describing their sister.

Rosa's mom teamed up with other parents and their Maryland Delegate, who agreed to hold a hearing on changing the terminology in Maryland State Law. There were several witnesses at the hearing, but the testimony that had the greatest impact on all was given by an 11-year old boy - Rosa's brother, Nick. He told members of the General Assembly about his sister and urged them to change the term "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability" because, he said, "What you call people is how you treat them."

The day I met Rosa's mom I promised that if they changed Maryland law books, I would fight on the Senate floor to change federal law books. A few weeks later, "Rosa's Law" swept through the General Assembly, passing through both legislative bodies with unanimous approval. Rosa's Law was signed by Governor Martin O'Malley in April 2009.

I kept my promise. I introduced "Rosa's Law" in the United States Senate last fall. My bill changes federal education, health and labor policy by replacing the words "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability" and "mentally retarded" with "individual with an intellectual disability." Just like "Rosa's Law" hit a chord in Maryland, it's hit a chord in the U. S. Senate. As of today, 39 Senators have lent their support for "Rosa's Law."

Eliminating the "R-word" has become a part of the national discussion recently. I still think the most compelling reason to stop using that word in our law books can be found in the words of Rosa's brother, Nick: "What you call people is how you treat them."

This bill is about families fighting for the respect and dignity of their loved ones. That's why I'm fighting for Rosa's Law.