With 122 campaigns taking place across the state, hundreds of individuals have pledged to end their use of the R-Word (“retard” or “retarded”) Students and adults alike are dispelling the myth “names will never hurt me” by promoting respect and inclusion to help others understand the impact that words can have. Events took place at:

• 34 High schools
• 23 Middle Schools
• 22 Elementary Schools
• 15 Organizations
• 15 Businesses
• 8 Colleges
• 5 SOWI Agencies/SOWI Events

The Wisconsin campaigns saw a wide range of activities from pledge drives at basketball games to an appearance by Green Bay Packers player Frank Zombo! Advocates used the following tools to spread the word:

• T-Shirts: Over 6,000 sold
• Campaign Kits: More than 100 distributed
• Banners: More than 30 posted
• Assemblies: 15 organized
• Information Tables: 13 held

2012 also brought the signing of the Wisconsin’s People First Law. On March 19, Governor Scott Walker signed the bill that removes the term “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” from state statutes and replaces it with “intellectual disability”. The bill received unanimous support in both Houses of Legislature and was supported by over 30 different disability rights organizations from around the state.

Although the National Spread the Word to End the Word day is over, it’s not too late to get involved. There are still campaign kits available to help get more events going. If interested, please contact Ally Armstrong at aarmstrong@specialolympicswisconsin.org.

A huge thank you to everyone who has made this year’s campaign a success!