The Ohio Senate has voted unanimously to remove the word "retardation" from state and county developmental disability agency names.
A story from the AP says, the bill approved Wednesday would mean the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities would instead be known as the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.
The word "retardation" would also be removed from county level agencies.
Ohio is one of six states that use the word "retardation" in state-funded agencies. Ten of Ohio's 88 county boards have already made similar name changes.
State Sen. Jimmy Stewart, the Albany Republican who sponsored the bill, says "retardation" is a derogatory term that doesn't belong in government agency names. The bill now goes to the Ohio House.
