Spreading the Word to End the Word at UW-Milwaukee

Students gathered in the Union Concourse March 4 to make the pledge to “Spread the Word to End the Word” and to get their pictures taken afterwards.

Tables aligned with piles of shirts containing the phrase “Spread the Word to End the Word” lead the front of this display along with large white boards with people’s personal testimonies and pledges to spread knowledge of the “R-word.” Spread the Word to End the Word is an initiative that was created by Best Buddies and the Special Olympics. This event was open and free to the public.

The initiative’s goal is to get people to pledge to stop saying the R-word (retard or retarded) in a derogatory way as a starting point toward creating more accepting attitudes and communities for all people. This is a day that is meant to reduce the R-word’s negative effects on people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, along with their families and friends.

UW-Milwaukee’s Best Buddies group pairs people with other people that have intellectual and developmental disabilities through one-to-one friendships. Best Buddies gives the chance for participants to change the world by simply making new friends.

According to the Special Olympics’ Official Website, “the mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.”

Megan DuFrane, a graduate student at UWM with a B.A. in Educational Studies, organized this event. DuFrane currently works for UWM Programming as the Sociocultural Programming graduate assistant.

“I have been with UWM Programming at the Sociocultural Office since August, and I am very excited to have been a big part of this event today,” said DuFrane.

According to DuFrane, the “Spread the Word to End the Word” events in the past have all been very small.

“I hope that with this event, more people pledge to spread the word,” said DuFrane.

Students, faculty, and the general public bought t-shirts, signed the boards, pledged on the computers set up, and got their pictures taken. One student, Holly Plazak, a freshman at UW-Milwaukee majoring in heath sciences, signed the pledge because of first hand experience. Plazak worked with peers and other students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities during her high school career and feels strongly about this issue.

“The students I worked with knew they were different from others, but they did not let that alter how they lived their lives,” said Plazak. “They have more life than anyone I know.”

Plazak says the use of the R-word in a derogatory way is “wrong and unnecessary” and believes we should be fighting for equality.

Another student who made the pledge was sophomore Brandon Vetterkind. Vetterkind is currently an occupational studies major at UWM. Vetterkind signed the pledge on Wednesday to help raise awareness.

“I signed the pledge today because I think we should all be making an effort to creating equality for every person no matter what,” said Vetterkind.

Vetterkind says everyone should take the time to make the pledge, or even just help others to refrain from using the R-word.

“I hope a lot of people also take the pledge today,” said Vetterkind. “I believe it is the right thing to do.”

To sign the pledge or get more information about this initiative, go to

www.r-word.org.