A mother and full time carer is urging families to boycott Cards Against Humanity as a Christmas game this year as she claims they "profiteer from hate" and mock her daughter, who has Down's syndrome
Rachel Mewes, 38, and her partner Marc Curtis, 41, from New Hartley, Northumberland, admits she has enjoyed playing the "shocking" game with her own family over festive periods in the past. However Rachel's views regarding the game changed two years ago when she threw out a card that mocked her daughter, Betsy Curtis, now aged three.
"I can't describe how devastating that is to know others are quite happy to mock your child because of the condition that they've got," she said. "Cards Against Humanity have been profiting from hate - making money at the expense of the human rights of people with Down syndrome."
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While Cards Against Humanity claim the 'robust mongoloid' and 'profoundly handicapped' cards are not from the most recent version of the game, Rachel claims older decks will still be in people's homes.
Rachel said: "It's good that these aren't now in the pack but people may have these older versions in their house.
"I'm urging people not to play this game this year. I would like it if nobody bought it. I'd like it if no one went on their website and played the online version.
Cards Against Humanity admits they have had to rewrite "about 15 per cent of the game to adapt it to an outmoded culture". Although they still list the phrases 'brown people, 'dead babies' and 'the gays' as punchlines.
Rachel and Curtis last played Cards Against Humanity around a year after their daughter was born. They claim her brother-in-law threw out a card that was offensive to Betsy, who has Down's syndrome.
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Another punchline card that horrified Rachel was 'kids with bum cancer'.
Rachel said: "We'd played Cards Against Humanity quite a few times before we had Betsy. It always made us feel a little bit uncomfortable but you have a few drinks and play along.
"We were sitting there with Betsy asleep in the cot and they'd made money off mocking her.
"I don't play it anymore. It's not right.
"After I'd had Betsy, I learned a lot about Down's syndrome and the rights of people with learning disabilities and how they're treated by society.
Dad Marc agreed, he said: "Cards Against Humanity was all very funny first off. But when you're brought into the disabled community it instantly changes your perspective on it.
"I played it before Betsy was born and then played after my daughter was born and a Down's syndrome card came up. Before my daughter was born it wouldn't have affected me the same way, but it's very unfair."
Rachel added: "I got to thinking about the impact of making people with Down's syndrome the butt of the joke and how damaging it is.
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"I remember one card as well with Madeleine McCann on it. I can't even imagine how her parents felt knowing that - or maybe they don't know."
After revisiting the game's contents again, Rachel claims another friend threw away the cards that she found too offensive.
She also claims to have spoken to others from the disabled community who have been left shocked by its contents.
Rachel has accused the game's creators of 'making it acceptable to be derogatory to people with disabilities'.
Rachel said: "The game shouldn't exist. I don't think there's a place our modern society for it.
"That's my perspective as someone who believes people, no matter what disability they have, should be included in society.
"It's in the title itself, it's not humane. They'll go 'well that's the part of the game' but words are hate speech.
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Cards Against Humanity claimed the cards mentioned were no longer in the most up-to-date version of their game, which has various updates and extension packs.
A spokesperson for Cards Against Humanity said: "That picture is of an outdated set of Cards Against Humanity. We understand the concern about those specific cards, which is why we removed them from our game several years ago. We respect and appreciate Rachel's advocacy."
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