Another historical moment for people with intellectual disability is the day they changed from using the term "mental retardation" to "intellectual disabilities". This was a huge success for people struggling with intellectual disabilities because the term "mental retardation" is degrading and could push a person's self-esteem down. How would you feel if you got called a degrading name for a disability over which you had no control? The Federal Register, The Daily Journal of the United States Government (2013), talks about the change in terminology from "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability" and states "Advocates for individuals with intellectual disability have rightfully asserted that the term 'mental retardation' has negative
