Letters to the Editor

December 2004

Dear Editor:

Broadway in Manhattan, as fine and opulent as its theatres are, no longer has anything over Waterbury. The Palace Theatre has the same grandeur and atmosphere that going into any Broadway theatre district playhouse has to offer.

A theatre goer can truly enjoy being entertained at the Palace Theatre in the only manner the management of a theatre can offer, by providing quality entertainment in a theatre whose interior is as fine and fitting an atmosphere as a high quality production and performance is meant to be entertaining and enjoyable.

The newly renovated and reopened Palace Theatre offers as fine a show and interior atmosphere as well as any theatre on West 46th St., Seventh and Eighth Avenues, and Broadway in Manhattan. Perhaps there will be a restaurant in Downtown Waterbury that will become a favorite gathering place and restaurant frequented by Broadway stars.

Yours truly,
Richard Adamski

Dear Editor,

Over the years, Special Olympics athletes have told us how the words mental retardation - too often associated with offensive terms such as retard and retarded - evoke painful memories of rejection and ridicule. As Special Olympics Athlete Roberta Blomster put it, Many people view the term mental retardation as a putdown instead of a descriptor of who can take part in the Special Olympics.

The purpose of this letter is to announce that in response to our athletes call for change and the movement away from the term mental retardation around the world, Special Olympics has updated its terminology to intellectual disabilities. At the core of the Special Olympics movement is the idea that we should focus on people and their gifts and accomplishments, and do away with negative attitudes and stereotypes. In an ideal world, labels would not exist, but language choices can and do have powerful impact on impressions and attitudes.

Language evolves over time, and this is not the first time the Special Olympics movement has updated its terminology. When Special Olympics was founded in 1968, it was common for our population to be referred to as mentally retarded or simply retarded. As language and sensitivities evolved, the movement made a change - still in effect today - to people-first language, referring to people or individuals with mental retardation. And now we are updating our terminology again with the use of the term intellectual disabilities. This update brings the movement more in line with the international community, which has used various terms (including intellectual disabilities) rather than mental retardation for years.

Although the movement has updated its terminology, the Special Olympics mission and eligibility requirements remain the same. To be eligible to participate in Special Olympics, athletes must be at least eight years old and be identified by an agency or professional as having intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics has updated its terminology, but in the context of the movement, intellectual disabilities and mental retardation have identical meanings, which can be defined as a condition of arrested or incomplete development of the mind characterized by impairment of skills and overall intelligence in areas such as cognition, language, and motor and social abilities.

Since 1969, Special Olympics Connecticut (SOCT) has provided year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. SOCT serves 6,500 athletes throughout the state through local, regional and state programs. In order to provide the most inclusive and meaningful school and community based sports training and competition for its 4,300 athletes with intellectual disabilities, SOCT opens its doors and offers the opportunity to an additional 2,200 athletes who train and compete as special partners alongside their peers with intellectual disabilities. Each year, SOCT hosts over 49 tournaments and competitions in 21 different sports.

Our commitment to year-round sports training and competition, quality growth around the world and to changing attitudes about people with intellectual disabilities is stronger than ever. For additional information regarding this change please contact Special Olympics Connecticut. Than you for your time and support.

Sincerely,

Robert Beau Doherty

PresidentSpecial Olympics Connecticut

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