SENATE BILL 384

47th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2006

INTRODUCED BY

Nancy Rodriguez

AN ACT

RELATING TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES; PREFERRING FOR USE IN THE NMSA 1978 THE WORDS "DISABLED", "DISABILITY", "DISABILITIES", "DISABLES" AND "DISABLING" IN PLACE OF SYNONYMOUS WORDS WITH A DEROGATORY HISTORY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     Section 1. FINDINGS--INTENT--PREFERENCE.--

          A. The legislature finds that providing proper access to persons with disabilities should not be limited to physical access but also to removing stereotypes and offensive words that can obstruct persons with disabilities from becoming fully functional members of society. The legislature further finds that the NMSA 1978 contains many outdated and offensive words identifying persons with disabilities that provide negative images of those persons. It is the intent of the legislature that this section recognize the negative impact that outdated and offensive words may have on persons with disabilities by acknowledging the past use of those words and demonstrating for the state's residents the legislative preference for words that remove stereotypes and promote the well-being of persons with disabilities.

          B. In the NMSA 1978, the words "crippled", "cripples", "crippling", "deformed", "deformity", "handicap", "handicapped", "handicaps" and "lame" shall preferably be read, where the context permits and in the proper grammatical and syntactical form, as "disabled", "disables", "disabling", "disabilities" or "disability".

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