#AdvocacyMatters: The Weight of Words

December 5, 2025 / #AdvocacyMatters

Words are more than a collection of letter or sounds, either spoken aloud or printed on paper. They carry meaning far beyond their dictionary definitions; each one shaped by context, emotion, and our own lived experiences.

Last week - in a series of Thanksgiving day social media posts - President Trump used the "r-word," an ableist slur rooted in discrimination of people with disabilities, in describing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz amid complaints about the state's immigrant population. Regardless of politics, use of this slur is reprehensible.

In any position, words matter. When the person speaking holds a position of power, the influence of their language is amplified, magnified, and maximized. Slurs like the "r-word" cause harm and that is further magnified when spoken by persons in power.
In the immediate aftermath of the President's use of the slur, disability advocacy organizations across the county spoke up and spoke out.

"Even when the word is used casually or directed at someone without a disability, it carries a legacy of stigma," Columbus-based Elevate DD posted to their Facebook page. "It reinforces the idea that disability is something shameful, something to mock, or something to use as an insult. This kind of language contributes to the stigma that children, adults, and families continue to face today."

In 2009, the Ohio legislature moved to remove the word from the official titles of state agencies and what are now our County Boards of Developmental Disabilities.

"[These] terms are commonly used in today's society to belittle or insult others," State Senator Jimmy Stewart (R-Albany) told The Daily Record at the time. "It seems that at a very early age, children add these words to their vocabulary. As a result, many disabled children spend their entire childhood being made fun of ... The verbal abuse that these children experience has long-lasting effects that negatively impact a child's perception of their own self-worth."

Progress in moving away from these slurs took decades, and we cannot let that work be undone with just a few keystrokes. Words matter, and we must do better.

#AdvocacyMatters