TEMPE, AZ — A Northern California father says a Tempe shirt company’s latest design felt like “a slap in the face” to families living with mental disabilities. Ben Berman, whose 21-year-old daughter Jenna is profoundly autistic and requires round-the-clock care, claims the shirt sold by Retro Rifle uses a slur offensive to people with mental disabilities and their families.
Berman, a longtime Retro Rifle customer who says he has purchased more than 200 shirts from the company, voiced his concerns directly to Retro Rifle owners in a group chat.
“I don’t know if it was just an oversight. I don’t see how it could be,” Berman told ABC15.
Previously, Berman managed a Facebook group for fans of Retro Rifle’s shirts. But the newest design struck a deeply personal chord.
“This is extremely offensive. My family lives this reality every day, 24 hours a day, and people treat it like it’s a joke,” Berman said.
On April 13, ABC15 approached Retro Rifle managers three times for comment. One manager at the company’s Tempe storefront said the shirt was featured in a special section of the website where items are temporarily highlighted. The company is still selling the controversial shirt.
“I think you can view it within a different lens,” the manager told ABC15.
Ted Holmgren, who manages Success on the Spectrum, a Mesa therapy clinic for children on the autism spectrum, says disrespectful language toward people with disabilities remains a problem, often perpetuated by those unaware of the harm.
“There may not be much harm intended behind it, or the verbiage might just be somewhat commonplace in our society, but we need to look at ways we can tone that down,” Holmgren explained.
April is recognized as National Autism Acceptance Month, observed nationwide since 1972. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in every 31 American children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Holmgren notes that more children are being diagnosed as physicians become more skilled at recognizing the signs.
ABC15 has reached out to Retro Rifle’s owners seven times regarding the shirt, including two in-person visits to their store. As of publication, company owners have not responded.
