About the National Survey on Respect

"The Value of One” project is our way of helping people become awareness of the abilities and the value of people with developmental disabilities and thus create schools and communities where people with and without disabilities are equally appreciated as individuals.

How these individuals are viewed and ignored by their peers at all ages affects their lives in many ways.

An important committee that advises the President on intellectual disabilities said that we can change laws and the government can try to force people to change, but none of this will work as long as the hearts and minds of our citizens think of these individuals as second class citizens, ignore them and have attitudes toward them that are based on prejudice and misinformation.

This survey is one part of The Value of One project. In the survey, you will notice that we ask about the word “retarded.” We do this because it tells us some of what is going on in our schools and communities about this issue. 

But what we really want to know is how students and people of all ages think and act toward people with developmental disabilities.  By asking questions about this, we begin to creates awareness and that leads to a better understand of how we can work together to make things better for them.   

This survey may also help us understand how the media, and our culture in general, can influence our attitudes and even our language.

Even though the real issue is greater respect and dignity for people with developmental disabilities, most people with this disability and their families agree that the use of the R word, no matter how it is used, is demeaning and disrespectful and we should work together to eliminate its use.

Click here to view some comments about the survey questions and preliminary results based on the first 400 people who have taken the survey.

A campaign on dignity and respect
for people with developmental disabilities.
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