MANILA, Philippines - Dacki Sandiego, an athlete of Special Olympics Philippines (SOP) who has autism, excels in badminton. His dream is to become a chef, and to banish the word "retarded" from everyday speech.

"Masakit pakinggan ang salitang retarded, kaya paki-erase (It hurts to be called retarded, so please, let's erase that)," Sandiego said during the launch of SOP's "Be A Fan" campaign in Makati City.

"Our needs are just simple: respect, understanding, and acceptance," he added.

Sandiego is one of the many people who experience the damaging impact of the "R-word:" a casual insult derived from a medical term that has been considered inappropriate.

In 2004, Special Olympics (where SOP is an affiliate) began to refer to "mental retardation" as "intellectual disabilities" after athletes felt that the medical term added social stigma to the everyday challenges they faced. Others eventually followed suit.

Last year, the non-profit organization launched "Spread the Word to End the Word" campaign, which encouraged people to make pledges not to use the R-Word. To date, more than 70,000 people have expressed support for the campaign.

Despite its success, however, Special Olympics continues to face a difficult battle since the R-Word and other derogatory terms are still deeply ingrained in societies across the globe.

Mislabeled

Dr. Rodney Dalisay, psychiatrist at the Philippine Mental Health Association, said most people tend to address people with special needs wrongly out of sheer ignorance.

He said, for one, that intellectual disability is often confused with mental illness. "Because of ignorance, some people label people as mentally ill (when they really aren't)," he said.

Not knowing the difference between the two can cause emotional suffering to people with special needs and their families, he said. This was the case for John Arvin, who was allegedly forced by cabin crew members to get off a plane after being labeled as "mentally ill."

Marites Alcantara, John Arvin's mother, stressed that her son is not mentally ill but has global development delay, a condition that delays a child's ability to acquire motor skills as fast as normal kids. She also scored the airline for discriminating against John Arvin and other people with intellectual disabilities.

The airline involved in the incident has already apologized to Alcantara and her son, saying that what took place was "a result of the cabin crew's misinterpretation of government regulations designed to assure the safety of their passengers."

The company promised to conduct a re-orientation of its frontliners, but reiterated that it has no policy that discriminates against persons who have mental illnesses and intellectual disabilities.

Knowing the difference

So what's the difference between a mental illness and an intellectual disability?

According to Dalisay, a mental illness refers to conditions which affect a person's mood, thinking and behavior. Some examples of mental illness include schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder.

"These cause distress in a person's daily life and reduces the ability to function at work, relationships, etc.," Dalisay said.

On the other hand, Dalisay said an intellectual disability is not a disease or illness, but a level of mental functioning that is "well below average." In other words, a person with an intellectual disability may take longer to absorb information, understand questions, or communicate effectively with others.

Unlike a mental illness that is often episodic, he said an intellectual disability is usually acquired at birth or during early childhood. Some examples of intellectual disabilities include Down syndrome, autism, and global development delay.

"A mom who got pregnant at a later age, a mom who's sick while pregnant, or a mom who drinks alcohol while pregnant can contribute to intellectual disability. Infections and accidents can also cause affectations in mental facilities," Dalisay said.

Be a fan

Despite the difference between the two, SOP Director Alexander Babst stressed that a person with mental illness and someone with an intellectual disability are human beings too, just like everyone else.

Given this, he called on Filipinos to treat them with honor and respect, and be sensitive to their needs.

"Learn how to address people properly, and treat them as persons we truly respect," he said.

"Let's not focus on the disability, (instead) let's praise the ability," he added.

For her part, SOP President Therese Macapagal urged Filipinos to change their attitude of discrimination by being part of their "Be A Fan" campaign for people with special needs.

"Let's be a fan of accepting special people like any other person. Let's be a fan of dignity, and of the human race. We are all equal," she said. Report by Karen Flores, abs-cbnNEWS.com

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