Melissa Healy

Melissa Healy is a staff writer for the Health section reporting from Washington D.C. Healy's a veteran of The Times' National staff, having covered the Pentagon, Congress, poverty and social welfare, the environment, and the White House before shifting to Health in 2003. She writes frequently about mental health and human behavior, about federal health policy, prescription medication and ethics in medicine. More wonk than wellness freak, Healy chooses to believe in the health benefits of coffee and wine, and considers water a better work-out medium than beverage.

Comments

[Pamela Wilson]

Removing these terms from federal statutes and policy papers does in no way infringe on any individual's freedom to insult, demean or otherwise harass individuals with cognitive impairments. Health bloggers, reporters and bullies at school will remain free to use as ugly language as you want when your imagination or thesaurus fail you.

As for families of children with Down syndrome commenting on whether they would subject their children to a pharmaceutical 'cure' or not - you would have to study the history of risky, unproven experimental 'treatments' that have been sold to families in the past 25 years to understand.

My son has Type One diabetes, and only other families understand the depth of knowledge in the fact that Insulin is Not a Cure. So far, 'treatments' being researched in laboratories are being promoted by a small number of parents who are so desperate for a cure that they will give their babies and young children pharmaceuticals that have been shown to have cautionary side effects in teens and adults.

Individuals with developmental disabilities deserve the respect and opportunities we know help them achieve their full potential. Eliminating degrading language from federal statutes and policy papers is a step in the right direction. Our families pay taxes, vote, and contribute a great deal to the diversity of our communities. Our intent is not to subsidize the use and promotion of insulting and outdated language.