Congress ended the use of the term Mental Retardation in most Federal statutes by passing Rosa's law, named after Rosa Marcellino, in 2010. The law put a spotlight on the term "retard" and "retarded" used as a slurs. I personally observed the meanness of those terms as my sister, Jean Marie Cuddigan, was born with Down's syndrome. Many groups and organizations have used the terms intellectual disability and individuals living with intellectual disabilities before Congress acted in 2010. So why did it take so long for Social Security to act? The simple changes that were made do not cost money or change the definition of disability.For many years I have had to explain this outdated term to my clients.Hard to explain when the term retarded is so demeaning. I am glad the change was made but have difficulty understanding the delay.
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