The "R word" campaign to me is all about bringing awareness to our community here at Tabor. I hear the "R word" very often and never thought much of it. Now that I have been working with young athletes with intellectual impairments once a week, I see how capable they really are. The children improve on their skills every week, whether its shooting hoops or kicking a soccer ball they put their best effort into everything they do. Using the "R word" with a negative demeanor is hurtful. After seeing many "R word" campaigns online I thought it would be effective to make one here at Tabor. It truly was, hearing some of the personal stories was amazing and really helped to make the video more personal. I have already seen a huge impact in our Tabor community.
I still hear the word but now I am starting to see people speaking up and telling others to stop using it. Students are realizing the impacts of their word choices, which was point of making the video. There has been a lot of momentum on campus, especially after the basketball tournament we held for the Special Olympics at Tabor. The athletes were so awesome and inspiring and it made everything about the "R word" campaign that much more amazing.