For a decade, disability advocates led a concerted effort to stomp out use of the word “retard.” Now they’re concerned that the language appears to be making a comeback.

Online, in popular culture and in politics, use of what’s known as the “r-word” has rebounded after largely receding from the conversation, advocates say.

Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that former President Donald Trump called Vice President Kamala Harris “retarded” during a meeting with donors. The term has also gained traction on social media. And, on a recent episode of the FX show “English Teacher,” two teachers decided that their students “are not into being woke anymore,” noting that things have “circled back around” such that “they’re saying the r-word again.”

“The resurgence of the r-word, particularly online, is more than just concerning — it’s a painful reminder of our society’s gut-wrenching history of discrimination against people with disabilities,” said Katy Neas, CEO of The Arc of the United States. ⁤⁤”This word isn’t just offensive; it’s a demeaning relic of a past we’ve worked tirelessly to overcome.”

Between 2009 and 2019, Special Olympics’ “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign urged people to abandon use of the r-word. More than 780,000 people took an online pledge to “support the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities” as part of the effort.

The campaign was so effective that Special Olympics evolved its messaging in 2019 to focus on inclusion more generally rather than the r-word in specific. Now, however, the organization said that the most visited page on its website is one focusing on the r-word and they are again rethinking their approach.

“In 2019, we recognized the need to shift the focus of the Spread the Word campaign. The original effort was so successful in reducing the use of the r-word that we began emphasizing inclusive actions instead,” said Jonathan Schillace, senior director of global youth and education communications for Special Olympics. “However, with the recent resurgence of the r-word in some areas, we felt it was important to bring the discussion back.”

Special Olympics’ educational materials now include three pillars — derogatory language, bullying and inclusive action — so schools and programs can customize their approach depending on their needs, Schillace said.

The group is also working to speak out about the impact that language can have on individuals with disabilities.

“Special Olympics athletes have led an effort to ask people to end the use of the r-word for a simple reason: It’s painful. It’s humiliating. It’s dehumanizing,” Tim Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics, said in a statement about the recent report of Trump using the term. “If former President Trump did use the word, we’d invite him to meet with our athletes to understand their perspectives. They would surely ask him to end his use of the r-word and join them in building a future where dignity and welcome are the expectation of everyone in our great country.”

Read more stories like this one. Sign up for Disability Scoop's free email newsletter to get the latest developmental disability news sent straight to your inbox.