Retail chain Globalize, defends selling a T-Shirt with the word "Retarde" emblazoned across it. Audio : FIVEaa

SHIRTS bearing the word 'retarde' have been removed from store shelves across Adelaide following days of public outrage.

The Sunday Mail first revealed the Globalize clothing chain was selling shirts bearing the word, angering people with intellectual disabilities and their carers.

Globalize director Clayton Cross today said most of the shirts had sold out but remaining stock had been pulled from shelves following national media attention and a protest outside the Rundle Mall store yesterday.

Mr Cross said customers, including people with physical disabilities, were still asking for the shirts in stores and he attributed the demand to the publicity surrounding the issue.

"We just contacted the suppliers to find out, if there's any we have left, if we can send them back but they've declined," Mr Cross said.

"The suppliers won't take them back (but) we think they should."

The shirts were designed by Adelaide duo Renae Beaty and Ema Raw, who trade under the label Art of Aztec.

Mr Cross said he would "put a bit more thought" into clothing orders in future but would not "censor the designers and the fashion going forward".

"We are leading edge fashion so I've got no doubt that we're going to cross the line again at some stage," he said.

Earlier, Australia's Human Rights Commissioner labelled the sale of shirts bearing the word "retarde" as "disappointing" and "horrible".

Graeme Innes said he had been contacted through social media by people expressing their outrage.

"I think the retailer's response was disappointing in the extreme, frankly," he said.

"This is a word that is used to bully kids with disabilities in playgrounds around Australia.

"To sell a T-shirt with that word, I know its spelled differently but the effect is the same.

"Its just a horrible word.

"It's a bit like selling a T-shirt, and I don't like to use this word, but with the word n***er on it.

"That's the impact in the disability community."

Disability advocates, carers and children protested outside the Globalize store in Rundle Mall yesterday morning.

During an afternoon segment on FIVEaa Radio yesterday, with the mother of a teenage boy who has Down syndrome, Mr Cross said children who were offended by the "retarde" shirts needed to "toughen up".

The mother, Sam, and her son, Ben, were part of the Mall protest and Sam had appeared on the Seven Network's Sunrise show over the issue.

Mr Cross questioned why Ben did not appear with her.

"I don't mind if he can't make a cogent argument but the kids have got to toughen up," Mr Cross told FIVEaa.

"The nature of the world is that child, like everyone, is going to have a tough life and at the moment all the parents I'm seeing are just mollycoddling their children to death.

"I mean, I deal with hundreds of children and they're coming through the system - no-one's ever said 'no' to them by the time they're 16.

"There's no doubt kids have got to toughen up."

State Disabilities Minister Tony Piccolo has weighed into the controversy saying "people living with disability deserve both dignity and respect and I cannot see how this affords people living with disability either of those rights".

Mr Cross has said it is not the role of a clothing company to censor what customers chose to wear.

A Globalize staff member said the shirts had sold out at the Mall store but were still in stock at five other stores.

She said the company would not reorder the shirts.

In a surprising twist, Paralympic cyclist Mel Leckie appeared at the protest outside the store wearing one of the shirts and argued it was no different to wearing clothing printed with the word idiot or d***head.

Protest at globalize in the mall over t-shirts bearing word "retarde" #Adelaide pic.twitter.com/IcsjAQqDJB — Lauren Novak (@Lauren__Dailey) November 17, 2013

Her comments angered the protesters and Dignity for Disability MP Kelly Vincent.

Ms Vincent said the word retard was hurtful to people with an intellectual disability and asked people not to buy clothing bearing the word.

Police arrived after about half an hour and asked the protesters not to obstruct the door to the store.