This week, I would like to extend a challenge to all my readers. I would like to challenge all of my readers to think before they say the word “retard.”

This word is one of the most misused words in the English language. It has become so mainstream that most people do not even realize what they are really saying when they use this word. Most people do not understand what the word means when used in such a demeaning way. This is not their fault; the word is used so often, why think twice about it?

For many, the word may mean absolutely nothing, but for millions, the word is haunting. It is a negative and derogatory word that was used as a way to describe some extremely amazing people.

These people that the word generally describes love unconditionally even when they have no reason to. They will never judge even though they are always judged. They smile without reason. They live simply and happily. These people are extraordinary and far from what some people would call undesirable, stupid or dumb — and this is what is implied when the word is misused.

People with intellectual disabilities are far from dumb or stupid. They have found ways to live in a world that is not tailored to their needs and made it work for them. They have found ways to communicate and make people understand their communications.

How the word became so mainstream is hard to pinpoint. Maybe it was some misguided humor in the Hollywood sector or maybe it started in the schools. No matter where it started, this is where it can end. We have the power to invoke change and be the means to an end.

Already so much has been done to try and eliminate the word from being used and show people with intellectual disabilities in a more positive light. Increases in people with intellectual disabilities have been seen in primetime television. Shows such as “Glee” and “Parenthood” have received high praise for shedding light on the capabilities of people with Down syndrome and Asperger’s syndrome.

Even with these positive strides in the mainstream media, there is still a need for everyone to make a more conscious effort at the elimination of this word. We can’t stop at just the word, however. There is so much more associated with the meaning that must end as well. Short-bus jokes, hand gestures and other demoralizing comments need to end as well.

Next Wednesday, a national campaign dedicated to ending the gross misuse of the word — Spread the Word to End the Word — will host its national activation day. The day is recognized as a day for all people to speak out and try to end the word’s misuse. Already the campaign has nearly 250,000 people who have signed the online pledge to “support the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.”

The challenge will be hard, but it is worth the struggle. It is something that everyone can work together to end. This issue lies outside the realm of politics and religion and lies within each of our moral abilities to make change happen cohesively. Ending the derogatory use of this word may seem comparatively less important than some of the bigger issues we are facing, but small gestures have huge impacts.

We are the generation of change. We have the drive, the power and the influence to make positive moves forward. So, to all my readers: challenge extended.