Chuck Schumer apologises for using ‘outdated and hurtful’ term for children with disabilities

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has apologised after using an outdated and offensive word to describe children with developmental disabilities during a recent podcast appearance.

During a discussion on the One NYCHA podcast, Mr Schumer used the word “retarded” to describe disabled children while discussing the challenges lawmakers can face in pushing for housing initiatives serving vulnerable populations.

“When I first was an assemblyman, they wanted to build a congregate living place for retarded children. The whole neighbourhood was against it,” he said, discussing his time spent representing parts of Brooklyn in the New Yorklegislature from 1975 to 1980.

“These are harmless kids. They just needed some help,” Mr Schumer said. “We got it done. Took a while.”

While the term “retarded” was once used to describe developmentally disabled children, it has long been considered outdated and offensive to many.

In a statement issued on Monday afternoon, a spokesperson for Mr Schumer said the senate majority leader was “sincerely sorry” for using the “outdated and hurtful” term.

“For decades, Senator Schumer has been an ardent champion for enlightened policy and full funding of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” the spokesperson said.

“He is sincerely sorry for his use of the outdated and hurtful language,” they said.

The initiative Mr Schumer had been referring to during the podcast was linked to an organisation known at the time as the Association for the Help of Retarded Children.

The AHRC has since abandoned that name and goes by its initials.

It is only in more recent years that sweeping efforts have been made to eradicate the term from official languaging.

In 2010, President Barack Obama signed a law striking the term “mentally retarded” from the majority of federal statutes, replacing it with other terms instead.

The measure, known as Rosa’s Law, had been approved unanimously by Congress before getting the green light from Mr Obama.

The Arc of the United States, an organisation serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, stresses on its website that “words matter” when it comes to describing developmental disabilities, as well as other conditions.

“Over time, as the words ‘retardation’ and ‘retarded’ became pejorative, derogatory, and demeaning in usage,” it states.

“While the term still appears occasionally, it has largely been replaced and usage of ‘intellectual disability’ and ‘developmental disability’ continues to spread,” the organisation says.

“We are doing everything in our power to make sure they’re adopted more broadly and strongly believe the only ‘r-word’ that should be used when referring to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is respect.”