“R”-Word Focus of Disability Rights’ Group

(2009-08-09)

ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – People with disabilities and their supporters plan to meet with reporters Monday morning at the Center for Disability Rights on State Street in Rochester. They want to talk about what they call the “R” word.

According to an advisory provided to WXXI, the group is expected to call for a bipartisan response and what they see as a “need for remedial action.” This, after a Monroe County Legislator called a colleague a quote “Retard” following a vote by a Democrat at the Legislature’s July 14 meeting.

CDR Director Advocacy Chris Hilderbrant wrote to Legislative Majority Leader Dan Quatro and Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks but is frustrated by their responses, saying “no one has stepped up to take responsibility and apologize for the language, nor agreed to further remedial actions.”

CDR labeled as “far from sufficient,” the response to its letters to Monroe County Republican Party Bill Reilich, Brooks and Quatro, “given the significance of the insult to the disability community.”

Hilderbrant says Quatro indicated that this “unfortunate event” should be used as a “teachable moment” and that Brooks agreed that the community must “learn how we can all avoid using offensive and hurtful language.” But Hilderbrant says both declined CDR’s specific suggestions and offered none.