Motionball urges use of inclusive language for people with intellectual disabilities

TORONTO – When Peter Flagler leaves his job at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night he’ll be able to look down Bremner Boulevard to the CN Tower and know that he’s valued.

Flagler, who lives with an intellectual disability, is an assistant to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ equipment staff and motionball’s honorary athlete of the year. The CN Tower is one of several major landmarks that will be lit yellow on Wednesday as part of motionball’s #NoGoodWay Day.

The national anti-bullying campaign hopes to discourage people from using the “R-word” — a slur rooted in outdated medical terminology and now considered a derogatory term.

“When I come out from work it will be so cool to see the CN Tower all yellow,” said Flagler. “I feel honoured because it hurts me and my friends to be called the R-word.”

Motionball is a Canadian non-profit that raises funds and awareness for the Special Olympics. #NoGoodWay Day hopes to encourage people to use more inclusive language when speaking about people with intellectual disabilities.

“The objective is and was, to try to convince Canadians to make the right decision, to use more inclusive language and to try to take out that R-word from their everyday conversational vocabulary,” said Paul Etherington, co-founder of motionball. “While this is a movement that’s close to our hearts, because we do a lot of work with Special Olympics athletes in the intellectually disabled community, from my perspective, we live in a very divisive world right now, and little things can be done just to make life easier for people. 

“It’s never that difficult to be kind, and it starts with our language with one another.”

Niagara Falls, Ottawa’s ByWard Market, Vancouver’s Science World, Winnipeg’s Princess Auto Stadium and the Clock Tower in Mississauga, Ont., are some of the other Canadian landmarks that will be lit yellow.

Kathy Flagler, Peter’s mother, is pleased that motionball is encouraging people to use more inclusive language because many people underestimate how harmful their words can be.

“There’s really no good way to use words that put others down in general, but I think (this campaign) just shows people how important it is to stop bullying and being hurtful to others through language,” she said. “But to be kind and respectful to people with disabilities is the big thing.”

According to motionball, one in 10 Canadians live with some kind of intellectual disability.

Motionball is also asking Canadians to share photos or videos of themselves wearing yellow on social media on Wednesday in solidarity with #NoGoodWay Day. The organization has also posted a pledge online for people to sign, vowing that they will strive to use inclusive language.

“So often our asks for motionball or for other charities out there are ‘please donate or give your time,’ which are all very important and necessary but this ask is simply choosing to make the right choice,” said Etherington. “Be kind. Don’t use a word that you know is going to offend somebody and there’s so many words out there that you could take out of your vocabulary, if you think about it, that you know are offensive, so why use them? 

“It’s about as simple a campaign as it can be, and we’ve been proud to see tens of thousands of Canadians join the movement, sign up as ambassadors, and take the pledge.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2025.