Retarded In The Down's Syndrome Community

In the second edition of the twentieth volume Oxford English dictionary, there are 171,476 words. Words such as dull, illogical, stupid, foolish, and absurd. Yet, the word retarded is still being used as a verb to describe a person or event that is thought to be as ridiculous. Using the word retarded is degrading to people apart of the down's syndrome community. In the dictionary, the word retarded is an adjective used to describe a person that is less advanced in mental, physical, or social development than is usual for one’s age. So, incorrectly calling an object retarded is demeaning and hurtful to those who are mentally delayed. There are both negative and positive aspects of being in this discourse community, and before one can become apart of this community, they must first become literate of the communication that occur in the community.

People with down's syndrome are looked down upon. As if they are misfits who do not deserve a second thought. People with down’s syndrome are bullied everyday and excluded just because of who they are. Down’s syndrome is a genetic chromosomal disorder that 6,000 babies are born with every year. It was proven that children with visible disabilities such as down's syndrome, are more likely to be bullied by their peers. In society, people with down's syndrome are rarely even given a chance to show what qualities they uphold as a person. A study conducted in 2012 shows that thirty percent of babies that tested positive for down’s syndrome disorder were aborted. However, people with down’s syndrome are capable of doing anything they set their mind to. They can be whomever they want to be. People with down’s syndrome can be politicians, teachers, graduates, actors, business owners, author, or even an