TD: How does it feel to see your brother (someone you describe as having a personality as unique as everyone else in the world) be categorised by others to a singular word which holds a negative connotation? 

RTRWOYT: It’s crushing enough to think people might see or describe Pierce using the r-word because of his disability. But it hurts, even more, to think that the r-word or similar connotations might still come to mind first despite all that he is, and the many challenges he has overcome in his entire life - particularly in the last year. For example, previously, Pierce found it difficult to cope if someone tried to put a t-shirt on him that wasn't blue... He now receives a daily injection in his belly without hesitation, and for half a year wore a Hickman's port dangling from his chest like a badge of honour! For Pierce one of his greatest challenges (of all things) was allowing the nurse to shave his chest where the port would be inserted and also seeing Healy and I shave our heads for the World's Greatest Shave. I admire Pierce's ability to overcome new challenges, try new things, and continuously make us laugh. The r-word just isn’t a valid term that reflects his (or anyone's) personal achievements and experiences. In its pejorative form, it is not a valid word full stop.

 

TD: Outside of RTRWOYT you recently completed a speech pathology degree. How much power does communication and the words we choose affect our lives? 

RTRWOYT: Words alone have so much power! Thankfully nowadays people acknowledge that the “sticks and stones” phrase is well and truly obsolete. But although this is acknowledged, I think there is a lack of transfer into practical situations and people simply forget or don’t realise the words they frequently use is actually offending someone. The essence of a Speech Pathologist's work focuses on optimising someone's potential to communicate. When clients (particularly children) have trouble with this, many would fear standing out because of their differences, or worse, fear being pointed out or negatively compared to undesirable things that are described using the "r-word." Kids hear this, and other similar words, pretty early on in life and it can affect them for life.

TD: The phrase ‘mentally retarded’ used in the 1700’s was purely intended as a scientific term. When and why did its use change? 

RTRWOYT: Dating back as far as the 1400’s, the word ‘retard’ derived from the Latin word ‘retardare’ meaning to hinder or make slow. It wasn’t until the 1960’s when the word was first used to label people who were intellectually disabled. The ambition was to re-label individuals as ‘mentally retarded’, rather than to use what were considered to be, at the time, ‘out-dated’ terms such as imbecile or moron. More recently, in fact, within the last 50 years, the r-word became somewhat socially acceptable to be used as a reference for people who were intellectually or physically disabled. It then rapidly became a term of derision, and to this day is still commonly interchanged with words such as idiot or stupid.

 

The reason the R-word has lingered for so long is likely that its medical and slang use overlapped for a greater period of time. It was used in both technical and jargon forms simultaneously causing ambiguity, confusion, and offence to many.

 

TD: How do you think growing up in a small country town altered your perception to the ‘r words’ use? 

RTRWOYT: I think regardless of location you will always be confronted by this. The use of the r-word in its pejorative form takes place in different locations all over the world. Perhaps being in a small town makes it increasingly difficult to escape or liberate yourself from being affected by it – much like it would be more challenging growing up as a member of the LGBTIQ community in a small country town where there's less diversity and freedom and everyone knows bloody everyone, and everything (whether it is fact or not).