A Great Example for Others

Fox’s hit series “Glee” is a great example of creating tolerance and acceptance for all people by displaying situations of inclusion for people with disabilities. Check out some of the examples of how the show fosters respect for people with intellectual disabilities:

• In a great example of tolerance, Kurt’s dad tells Finn not to use derogatory language and equates the R-word to other slurs.
  
• Glee also regularly features actress Lauren Potter, who has Down syndrome. She plays cheerleader Becky and is treated as a friend and classmate by all the other students.
  
• In addition to her presence on the show, Lauren has teamed up with Spread the Word to End the Word, Special Olympics and AbilityPath.org to help put an end to bullying in schools. According to AbilityPath.org’s recent study about bullying among children with special needs called “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes,” nearly 60 percent of students with disabilities are bullied in their schools.  
  
• Lauren joined Special Olympics CEO Tim Shriver on CNN to talk about her experience with bullying and explain why she’s Spreading the Word to End the Word.   

What you can do to put an end to hurtful and abusive language and actions in schools:

• If you’ve already taken the pledge to stop saying the r-word, challenge your friends and family to do the same.
  
• Share Lauren Potter’s article, “Doing Nothing is Not an Option” from the Huffington Post