Challenging the “special needs” and “overcoming a disability” narrative
Issue Four
Hello, I’m Priti Salian, an independent journalist, researcher and media trainer based out of Bengaluru, India. Welcome to the fourth edition of Reframing Disability, your fortnightly dispatch untangling disability-inclusive narratives.
In this issue, find a deep dive into the term “special needs”, a talk on why disabled people don’t “overcome their disability”, tips for running an inclusive digital campaign, and opportunities for journalists.
Last week, I discovered some attention-grabbing text splashed in bold letters on the website of the Special Olympics’ new campaign.
“Exceptionally great. Important. Unique. Special is something to strive for. The ultimate compliment. A word we can all hope to be called. Not for all the things we cannot do. But for all the things we can.”
Named “Yeah, I am Special”, this campaign wants to reclaim the word “special” frequently used to exclude people with disabilities from the mainstream.
Disability Scoop interviewed Special Olympics about their goals with the campaign:
“In sports, ‘special’ is often used to describe once-in-a-lifetime players, epic moments of teamwork and extraordinary acts of greatness that inspire others,” said Christy Weir, Special Olympics’ vice president of international media relations and communications.
“Special Olympics acknowledges there is a long-held stigma that has been applied to the word special. Professional and collegiate athletes do not face this stigma when they are described as special. Our athletes deserve that same respect.”
The disability community hopes the campaign will become a part of a bigger conversation on ableist language.
The term “special needs” apparently originated after the launch of the Special Olympics in the 1960s.
It was further “popularised in the U.S. in the early 20th century during a push for special needs education to serve people with all kinds of disabilities."
A 2016 study predicted and observed a negative perception of individuals when described as having "special needs". This perception was more negative compared to when a person was labelled as disabled, or having a specific disability, implying that the term "special needs" is an ineffective euphemism.
“The study also found that:
“Special needs conjures up more associations with developmental disabilities (such as intellectual disability) whereas disability is associated with a more inclusive set of disabilities; and special needs evokes more unanswered questions. These findings recommend against using the euphemism, special needs.”
More recently, in a 2021 feature in USA Today, persons with disabilities and parents vehemently opposed the term "special needs" and preferred the use of “disability”:
“Quinn West, a disabled artist living in Chicago, grew up going to a mainstream school and felt the impact of the term "special needs."
"Abled people assume that saying 'special' means a 'good special' when disabled kids who went through the system know that kids would use 'special' as an insult," West says.
West says it makes those who are disabled sound like an extra burden, when that's not the case; "I’m deaf, so like everyone else I need communication. That need isn’t anything extraordinary. It’s the same need for human connection, but I just need an accommodation to do so."
Jamie Davis Smith doesn't want her disabled daughter Claire to have "special" treatment. Her daughter simply requires extra support. "I think it's really important that non-disabled people, people who don't know people with disabilities, understand that I'm not really asking for anything that special for my daughter, I'm just asking that she be able to participate in her community, in life, on an equal basis as my other kids," she says.
Sonja Sharp, a metro reporter with the Los Angeles Times, prefers identity-first language: "disabled" over "person with disabilities." "It's cleaner, it's simpler, and it's more reflective of my reality," Sharp says. "The law defines me as disabled."
For Sharp, disability is at the core of her identity.
"Every significant experience – school, friendships, puberty, sex, career, marriage, motherhood – has been shaped by this body, made different because of this body," she says. "I am disabled the way I am Jewish – intrinsic and inseparable from me."
Check out social media posts on how activists feel that avoiding the word “disabled” perpetuates shame instead of dismantling it. #SayTheWord discourages the use of euphemisms such as “differently-abled” “handicapable” and “special needs”.
Dr. Satendra Singh on why disabled people don’t “overcome” their disability
How many times have you heard of media narratives about persons with disabilities “overcoming their disability” to achieve their goals? I hear them very often.
People with disabilities have been applauded for overcoming their disability and pursuing careers, excelling in sports, doing well in school, and even stepping out to buy groceries. While I plan to dedicate a future issue to why this narrative should change, I’ll leave you today with a 7-minute talk by Dr. Satendra Singh about his lived experience with a locomotor disability.
Below are some highlights:
"We haven't overcome our disability. We live each and every moment with our disability,” he said.
“At every step we have to prove that we exist, we are human beings.”
“Even for the smallest happiness, we have to fight, we have to plead. It’s high time that we talk about disability as a diversity, as a human rights issue.”
This time, work on an inclusive digital campaign
Here’s a brand new 4.5-minute (captioned) video of an accessibility checklist for digital campaigns from Think With Google. It is narrated effectively in lucid language by Dr. Shani Dhanda, a multi-award-winning disability inclusion and accessibility strategist and consultant.
Her top tip? Always start by including individuals with lived experiences and expertise in your team to gain insights and test your campaign’s accessibility. Constant input from the community should help shape the end result.
I’m listing a few tips from the video.
When creating your project brief, make sure you allow plenty of space for adjustment and flexibility throughout your project for iteration.
Use good colour contrast, clear fonts, comprehensive alt-text or image description for visuals.
Videos should have closed captions and audio descriptions.
Use sign language, if possible.
Avoid flashing content or provide an option to disable it.
Use PascalCase hashtags, which means capitalise the first letter of each word in your hashtag.
Limit the use of emojis and use them only at the end of sentences.
And as experts always say, it is better to do something rather than nothing! “Starting and iterating will get you so much further than striving for perfection,” said Dhanda in the video.
Opportunities for journalists
1. The Lighthouse is looking for pitches.
“We're seeking pitches for pieces that analyze and/or amplify the concerns and values of Black Women; Femmes; Folks from the Southeast. We're especially seeking writers who identify as Black; LGBTQ; Disabled; Women; POC. Email pitches to kswan@loveblackgirls.org. Pay rate for published pieces: $0.25-$1/word depending on experience.”
2. Persons with disabilities in France aspiring to pursue a career in journalism are invited to submit their applications for a journalism training to The Act'Pro Ile-de-France association. The successful candidates will participate in a complimentary "journalism and audiovisual" training program scheduled to run from April 2 to July 12, 2024, in Val-de-Marne (94). Following the training, participants, based on their initial career trajectory, may be eligible for a three- to six-month paid professional internship. The deadline for the application is March 1, 2024.
Thanks for reading this issue of Reframing Disability. Do you have any thoughts on the language used for inclusive storytelling, or accessibility tips for a digital campaign? Hit reply to share your feedback, or say ‘hello’.
If you have taken a step towards accessibility, share it as #AccessibilityBrag and #ReframingDisability on socials. Tag me on LinkedIn and Twitter, and I’ll support you!
Warmly,
Priti
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Hello, am interested in the Disability Justice Project. As a person with a physical disability, I want to learn the skills involved in making video storytelling as a tool to advocate for inclusivity in our community. My contact phone number is +675 78809952 and my Email address is enoaua7@gmail.com