Release Date: Sep 18, 2009
File:

Summary:
Date:  September 18, 2009
For Immediate Release
Point of Contact:     
Tim Pfister                       
Community Relations Specialist
(937) 837-9253



Montgomery County Board of MRDD is no more!

Agency drops MR from name.  Name Change to Take Effect Friday, September 18, 2009

The Montgomery County Board of MRDD name will be officially changed to the Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities Services as of close of business Friday, September 18, 2009 in compliance with Senate Bill 79, ´The Name Change Bill.' 

The term Mental Retardation was removed at the request of individuals with disabilities because the term "retardation," when used in a derogatory fashion, conveys negative perceptions and judgments about individuals with disabilities.  However, just because the agency's name has been changed, it doesn't mean the use of derogatory terms will suddenly disappear from our society. To refer to someone as a ´retard, has become an offensive part of the lingo, especially among some teens.  This and other derogatory, insensitive and dehumanizing terms have been used to describe individuals with disabilities and other minorities.

Our goal now is to prevent another phrase from taking its place as negative and judgmental, by continuing to improve the perception that is in our society's hearts and minds about persons who have disabilities. To accomplish this we will work on helping people to refrain from communicating judgments and stereotypes about individuals with disabilities.  We will do this as we educate the community about the nature and needs of persons with disabilities and about our agency's name change between now and the next levy.

The bill also removed the term "mental retardation" from the titles of other state and county entities, councils, commissions, and various funds that use the term. 

The website will now be accessible at www.mcbdds.org.  All Board email addresses will change the suffix to mcbdds.org.  The prefix of the email address, the first initial and seven characters of the last name will stay the same.

The name change will not affect any changes in our agency's eligibility criteria at any level, nor will it remove the term mental retardation as a clinical/diagnostic term in our field.  All those individuals using the services the board either delivers or purchases will continue to enjoy the quality services that have been provided with the help of Human Services Levy funding.