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Why is the term "mental retardation" used in the new regulation instead of cognitive disability, develop mental disability, or intellectual disability?

OPM will be issuing final regulations to amend regulations pertaining to the appointment of person with disabilities. These amendments will replace the term “mental retardation” with “intellectual disability.”

The definition of “intellectual disabilities” means only those disabilities that would have been encompassed by the term “mental retardation” in previous iterations of the regulations and the associated Executive order, Executive Order 12125, dated March 15, 1979.

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