By Bob Katzen

The House gave initial approval to a bill that would modernize written state laws to reflect the evolution of terminology relating to persons with disabilities.

Changes include replacing “handicapped persons” with “persons with disabilities,” replacing “the mentally retarded” with “persons with an intellectual disability,” replacing “retarded children” with “children with an intellectual disability” and replacing “disabled American veterans” with “American veterans with disabilities.”

Supporters said the primary objective of the bill is to identify and eliminate outdated, archaic language from the General Laws of Massachusetts and replace it with more respectful, person-first language. They noted that once the archaic language was found, they contacted the relevant state agency or office to confirm that the bill would have no unforeseen consequences, such as impacting funding or access to services.

“Modernizing state statutes to reflect the evolution of terminology relating to persons with disabilities is an essential step the commonwealth can take to reflect the respect that we should have for all residents,” said sponsor Rep. Mike Finn (D-West Springfield). “Getting the bill to this point is a result of collaboration between many executive offices, stakeholders and legislative committees. My hope is that the latest version of the bill will pass legislative scrutiny and reach the finish line this session. Working on this bill in particular has been an honor because it represents my own personal beliefs about how every individual in this commonwealth deserves to be treated with dignity.”