Acting Commissioner Stephen Cha and Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Aging Services Kaylee McGuire had the following op-ed published on nj.com:

Language is never neutral.

The words we choose reflect our values, shape public attitudes and signal who belongs — and who does not.

That reality compels us to join disability advocates across the country in expressing concern about the renewed use of a long‑recognized slur aimed at people with intellectual and developmental disabilities — a term that should have been, and many believed was, left behind.

More than a decade ago, New Jersey chose to move forward. In 2010, our state acted decisively to remove outdated and demeaning terminology from New Jersey statutes and regulations and replace it with respectful, person‑first language.

Leaders from both parties drove that change, grounding it in a truth: Words shape how people experience the world.

The state did not make this change for appearances. Lawmakers made a clear statement that people with disabilities deserve dignity, respect and full inclusion. That decision placed New Jersey within a broader movement to modernize language in public policy and affirm the humanity of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

It also echoed what families, self‑advocates and service providers had said for years: Language had become a tool of ridicule, exclusion and harm.

Today that progress faces a test. Prominent voices have openly embraced this regression. On a widely listened episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the host used the slur within seconds of the program’s start, celebrating its return as a cultural win.
 
After Elon Musk shared the term on X, researchers at Montclair State University found that use of the slur on the platform increased by 207.5%, underscoring how quickly harmful language can spread when amplified.
 
The pattern has repeated elsewhere: Musician Kid Rock publicly used the slur on television, and Kanye West used the word during an interview, among many other recent examples.
 
These examples are not isolated incidents; they show how easily progress can erode when people with large platforms treat demeaning language as entertainment or provocation. The renewed use of this slur — whether online, in entertainment or in casual conversation — does not signal edginess. It signals disrespect.

Each use reinforces a regression to harmful stereotypes and promotes the idea that disability invites mockery or dismissal. Those messages shape how people treat individuals with disabilities in schools, workplaces, health care settings and communities.

At the New Jersey Department of Human Services, we serve people with disabilities every day. We witness their talents, resilience and contributions. We also witness how stigma blocks opportunity, belonging and well‑being.

Language can dismantle those barriers or strengthen them. When New Jersey removed this term from state law, the state acknowledged that systems must embed respect rather than leave it to chance. When people revive language our state deliberately rejected, they weaken that commitment and send a damaging message to people with disabilities and their families.

Progress does not sustain itself. People sustain it through vigilance, leadership and everyday choices, including the words they use. We call on public figures, media voices and community leaders to recognize the power of their language. We condemn the use of this — and any other — slur.

We ask every New Jerseyan to remember that dignity is not optional. Respect is not a trend.