#nogoodway to use the R-word

There are not many words in the English language as offensive as ‘retard,’ when used in the context of labeling people with intellectual disabilities.

According to the Canadian Association for Community Living, 899,000 people in Canada have an intellectual disability; that’s just over 2.5 per cent of the population. Odds are, each one of us is related to, or knows someone, with an intellectual disability. Although most people don’t mean any harm when they use the R-word, it is bullying—plain and simple.

The Edmonton Police Service is joining the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Special Olympics Canada and Motionball to eliminate the use of the R-word in everyday conversation. YELLOWCARD Day, held annually on October 8th, brings attention to the cause through social media using #nogoodway. This year, Edmonton Police Service is taking part in the campaign to show support for Special Olympics and for all persons with intellectual disabilities.

You can show your support by dropping by City Hall on October 8th at 10:00 a.m. and joining others in taking the pledge to stop using the R-word. The first 50 people arriving at the event will get a free Yellowcard t-shirt. If you can’t make it to the event, please visit http://ift.tt/1oAngP8 and take the pledge online. Be YELLOWCARD ambassadors—because there is #nogoodway to use the R-word!

Members of the media are invited to attend the event where October 8th will be proclaimed Yellow Card Day in Edmonton. Following the proclamation, guest speakers will take the pledge and in unison, all attendees will symbolically rip the R-word from their vocabulary.

BACKGROUND ON YELLOWCARD DAY:

• On October 1, 2014, Motionball launched their national anti-bullying initiative, the YELLOWCARD campaign, with the goal of eliminating the casual use of the R-word (retard) in everyday conversation amongst young professionals in Canada.
• Motionball: "We want to let people know that even when it’s used in a way that seems harmless, benign or even positive, the truth is there is #nogoodway to use the R-Word."
• The campaign is named ‘Yellowcard’ because a yellow card in soccer is meant as a warning to let offending players know that they have crossed a line.
• To date, over 11,000 people have taken the online pledge.
• This year, Motionball, Special Olympics Canada, and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police are asking Canadians to spread the word and encourage their friends, family and co-workers to eliminate the R-word from their vocabulary and take the pledge.
• Edmonton Police Service’s Yellowcard campaign will use social media (#nogoodway) to encourage citizens to wear yellow on October 8th, take a photo, take the pledge and Tweet it to their friends.
• http://ift.tt/1jQxz5U
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1srxDzF34A8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKFoPGwp02A (Toronto Police)
  
  On October 1, 2014, Motionball launched their national anti-bullying initiative, the YELLOWCARD campaign, with the goal of eliminating the casual use of the R-word (retard) in everyday conversation amongst young professionals in Canada.

from Media Releases http://ift.tt/1MgeoJp