Local News
Friday, July 10, 2009
What's (not) in a name?FEATURES WRITER
For the Seneca County School of Opportunity, is not what's in a name, but what's not in their name.
On July 7, Governor Ted Strickland signed Senate Bill 79, which removes the term "mental retardation" from the names of the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Development Disabilities (MRDD).
The bill becomes law 90 days after the signing and will have impact here.
"Technically our name has always been Seneca County Board of Mental Retardation and Development Disability. But most people know us as the Opportunity Center and we've pushed that for years," said Superintendent Lou Hurst. "Our self advocates didn't want to be known as mentally retarded."
The aversion to the phrase has been emphasized with local leaders and the change will mostly be a technical one in Seneca County.
"Hopefully this won't be a big, expensive transition for us," said Hurst, who expects to change stationary, letterhead and business cards but not much else. The sign in front of the school is due to be replaced, but only due to age.
Linda Oda, Director of Communications for the Ohio Association of County Boards of MRDD, said her agency also is expected to make a name change in the near future.
In the past 20 years, nine of Ohio's 88 counties made the change to doing business as County Boards of DD. State law required that they officially remained County Boards of MRDD, so that is the name voters would recognize on the ballot.
Many other County Boards of MRDD also wanted to drop "mental retardation," according to Oda, but were prohibited by their prosecutors, who interpreted the Ohio Revised Code in such a way that would not allow County Boards of MRDD to do business under any name other than the state-sanctioned title. That is why a statewide name change was necessary, Oda said.
The name change is part of the continuing evolution for people with developmental disabilities, according to Oda.
"As recently as 40 years ago, it was considered necessary to house our individuals in institutions, leaving many of them naked because it was easier to keep them clean, or putting people with autistic tendencies in cages to keep them from hurting themselves or others," Oda said.
The word "retarded" has been a part of Seneca County's history since the program's inception.
In 1955 the Seneca County Community Council established a committee called the Council for Retarded Citizens to develop a program for children with disabilities ages 9 to 13.
The program eventually increased to include adults and the program rented space in several different locations in the community.
The Seneca County Board of Mental Retardation was established in 1967. When state regulations prevented students over age 22 from attending the school, an Adult Activity Center was established in Padua Hall on the grounds of St. Francis for eight graduates from the School of Opportunity. That program was eventually re-named Seneca Re-Ad Industries.
The School of Opportunity is joined by the Family Learning Center at Sentinel, Early Intervention in Tiffin with Seneca Re-Ad Industries Inc. sites in both Tiffin and Fostoria.
"I think that there's always been a negative stigma with "mentally retarded" and many of our folks have been ridiculed throughout their lives for having that name and that connotation," said Hurst. "We hope people look at them as people instead of someone with mental retardation. We serve people with developmental disabilities who may need some supports, but they are just like you and I."
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Ph: (419) 435-6641 • Fax: (419) 435-9073
113 E. Center St. • P.O. Box 947
Fostoria, OH 44830
The Findlay Publishing Company
P.O. Box 609
Findlay, OH 45839-0609
Phone: (419) 422-5151
www.findlaypublishing.com
Please read our privacy guidelines
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