Throughout my entire life, I've come across various people with special needs, from school to friends to neighbors. I feel like they are always under-appreciated and overlooked. I'm here to stand up for why I think this needs to be changed.
Imagine growing up with kids always picking on you for being "different". Having to always wonder why people are staring at you as if you're a circus animal. "Is there something on my nose?" I was asked once when a group of kids was staring at my friend with a special need. Imagine not understanding why you're looked down on.
What if you were born with an extra chromosome? With a brain that couldn't comprehend everything fast enough? Without some of your body parts? What if you were "different"?
Through school, I've always noticed that a lot of students picked on the Life Skills class (or what my school referred to as special education). They would stare, call them "retarded", and never attempt to become their friends. This changed when I moved to Montana, but the difference was still minimal.
If someone is born with a disability of any kind, shouldn't we be lifting them up and helping them with what they need? Think about it. They were born with a bigger challenge than most of us will ever have to face. They deserve to be getting positive recognition rather than negative.
Yes, we all have problems. The question is if your problems follow you around every moment of every day. Do others pick on you for your problems? Do you live with a label constantly hovering over you?
I'll be the first to admit that I used to use the word retarded often, and I'm so ashamed of it. I don't think I realized what I was saying when I used the phrases "You're so retarded" or "That’s so retarded."
When that is used, it's the speaker trying to insult someone, which implies that they belong in the special needs group. Therefore, what they are saying is "Hey you belong with the disabled, it sucks to be you." So not only is the person being insulted, but anyone who has a disability or is an advocate is insulted as well.
That word puts a negative view on the disabled. I fixed my language, and so can everyone else. Other words can replace the "R" word. So many other alternatives out there won’t imply negativity towards those with disabilities.
One of the best decisions I've ever made is to get involved with Special Olympics. I stared volunteering in high school and I highly recommend it to anyone reading this. Go to your school's special education department and ask what you can do to be a part of the students’ lives. Spend a day at lunch sitting with them. Or, if you're already graduated, see what your community offers. Love them, and show respect. In this manner, we can all do our part to change the conversation and the stigma surrounding those with disabilities.
