Breaking Down Barriers Starts By Cracking The Wall
Recently, a story on the Special Olympics website titled “Why is it so wrong?” caught my attention. I knew almost right away that the post was going to be about the R-word.
The story details two instances in which the author, Aham, heard the R-word being used and instead of getting upset or ignoring it, decided to turn the encounters into teachable moments. Since then, Aham noticed that in both cases, the peers he spoke with were receptive to what he said, and not only did the students stop using the word, but one even came back and apologized for not knowing its painful connotation to those with intellectual disabilities.
Aham closes out his post by sharing, “The other day I heard him tell another student not to say it and I gleamed with pride.”
Though we have campaigned against the derogatory use of the R-word for years, it is hard for many to understand just how hurtful & painful this word is until it is explained firsthand. Aham’s story shows just how powerful a single encounter can be, how a single person has the ability to make real impact and how empowering it can be to simply share our stories with one another to grow our movement.
At Special Olympics we work every day to build a more inclusive world. This work is being led by a Unified Generation of young people, like Aham, who are passionate about equality and inclusion. We’re gaining momentum thru programs like Unified Sports that encourage teamwork, communication, camaraderie, and accomplishment between athletes with and without intellectual disabilities. For anyone who ever doubts the abilities of our athletes, I always tell them to go and compete with them on the court and watch the barriers of misunderstanding fall away.
When we work together and break down barriers put up by society, be it the R-word or prejudice, it is important to remember that every crack in the wall contributes to its destruction. While it might seem like a small action at the time, as we start chipping away at these constructs, eventually huge chunks will fall, paving the way for the entire structure to come down & a new path to be built in its place.
Bravo to Aham who says he was “just trying to do the right thing.” Let’s all follow his lead and be brave enough to take our own small step toward inclusion. Together, those small steps make a huge impact!
