The victory feels as profound as it is long overdue.
This week, after more than a decade of persistent advocacy, the Archaic Language Bill passed both the Massachusetts House and Senate unanimously. As we await the Governor’s signature, I cannot adequately express the relief and pride that I feel.
This bill is personal. It was the very first piece of legislation I testified for as Director of Government Affairs ten years ago. I have provided testimony for The Arc through my lived experience lens during every legislative session since. Why? Because the language we use, especially in our laws, shifts mindsets and policies and defines human value.
In my testimony over the years, I would share my joyful experiences raising my boys, who have autism and IDD. We loved spending time in our community: at the bookstore, the playground, the local pizza place. There are many memories that I cherish.
Yet I also remember the moments of devastation when that joy was crushed by a word. The parent in the checkout line who first scolded me for not “controlling” my children, only to dismiss us with the casual cruelty of the “R-word” and a hollow “good luck to you.” Or the quiet exodus of children from the playground after one young boy asked his mother if my son was an “R-word.” She nodded her head yes and the damage was done. They vanished.
These are the insidious ways that outdated, hateful language diminishes the humanity and right to inclusion for our loved ones. For too long, this same archaic, offensive language has been embedded within our very state statutes.
This bill’s passage is a powerful statement of the values of the Commonwealth. Especially in this moment, when the rights and worth of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are constantly under threat, this bill ensures our laws reflect who we truly are as a state: a Commonwealth that believes in the potential and inherent dignity of all.
To our tireless advocates, families, and the dozens of legislators including Speaker Ronald Mariano, Senate President Karen Spilka, and the determined House and Senate sponsors: thank you. This victory belongs to all of us. Advocacy takes time and commitment, but today, the finish line is in sight.
Stay tuned: we will celebrate the final signature soon!
