A huge bill that passed the House unanimously makes a big change in all of Ohio’s state laws. It replaces all references in state law to “mental retardation” with the term “intellectual disability”.
Rep. Jonathan Dever (R-Madiera) is one of the sponsors of the bill. “As we learn more about those with disabilities and we work towards making Ohio a better and more responsive state for the developmentally disabled in our communities, our laws should reflect that collective wisdom,” Dever said.
Because the bill goes through the entire Ohio Revised Code, it’s more than 900 pages long. The state changed the name of the agency that helps people with intellectual disabilities to the Department of Developmental Disabilities in 2009. The bill now moves on to the Senate.
