In 1995, Nina Greene gave birth to a beautiful, curious little boy, Randy, who lives with Down syndrome. As a mother, what gives her the most joy is how similar Randy’s life and problems are relative to those his age, despite his disability.
That’s so “retarded.” You’re such a “retard.” Retard… one of the few words that physically hurts me when I hear it. My heart aches; my stomach clenches; my eyes sting. It always takes a beat before it registers; did someone really just say that? As a special educator, I especially hated that word. Then 8 years ago, it became personal.