“Special Needs”

[Asteriland]

A little off topic, but while we are on about the human brain, and it's position...

You do realize the brain IS you? It's not your 'slave master' or anything, but it is for a lack of a better wording, you. Everything else in your body is built around it, either for protection, or fulfilment. Your body is more or less just a complex suit of armour, and the brain + nerve network sprouting from it is you. The brain is your full consciousness, and in theory, if one where to put their brain in something else, (assuming that you had the technology to keep the brain alive the whole time, and for a brain implant surgery in general), you would be in another body.

[Jebslund]

Im sorry but do you understand how retarded(Actually retarded people not stupid btw) people think? They are unaware of their mental disability and constantly giddy thus you cannot really offend them thats why I said that. How is that considered flamebaiting? I didnt want this to blow up into an argument.

First problem is referring to people as "the retarded," which was considered polite in my younger days, but I was built in the 19th century and times have changed. Many modern people consider it rude, even when talking about actual mental disabilities.

The second problem is that even if you do still use the word "retarded," it does not apply to all special needs people. Someone that is autistic or severely dyslexic or physically disabled may have average intelligence, but still be classified as "special needs." You just dumped them all together and implied that all of them were too stupid to be offended. For the ones who AREN'T too stupid to be offended, that's obnoxious.

Lastly, even people that are intellectually impaired are not all the same. Some of them are more severely impaired than others, and some of them have more cheerful dispositions than others.

And some of those special needs people have well above average intelligence.

[Cekoviu]

A little off topic, but while we are on about the human brain, and it's position...

You do realize the brain IS you? It's not your 'slave master' or anything, but it is for a lack of a better wording, you. Everything else in your body is built around it, either for protection, or fulfilment. Your body is more or less just a complex suit of armour, and the brain + nerve network sprouting from it is you. The brain is your full consciousness, and in theory, if one where to put their brain in something else, (assuming that you had the technology to keep the brain alive the whole time, and for a brain implant surgery in general), you would be in another body.

Those who believe in the soul think otherwise. Perhaps that is the position dear old Korvale was taking.

[Asteriland]

A little off topic, but while we are on about the human brain, and it's position...

You do realize the brain IS you? It's not your 'slave master' or anything, but it is for a lack of a better wording, you. Everything else in your body is built around it, either for protection, or fulfilment. Your body is more or less just a complex suit of armour, and the brain + nerve network sprouting from it is you. The brain is your full consciousness, and in theory, if one where to put their brain in something else, (assuming that you had the technology to keep the brain alive the whole time, and for a brain implant surgery in general), you would be in another body.

Those who believe in the soul think otherwise. Perhaps that is the position dear old Korvale was taking.

That would make sense. I never really factor religion into anything, but I can see where Korvale is coming from in that regard.

[Asteriland]

As for the actual on topic discussion...

Is it ok to use the term "special needs"? Yes. However, one should take into consideration that one might not like that label. For the most part, it's fine; statement of the person's status, and not a insult. If it is being used as a insult, or just to get under the person's skin, that is the real problem with it.

[Avalon]

I know disabled people who don't really need anything special, so I guess, as a general term, it's rather inaccurate.

[Annihitor the Incred]

I doubt anyone disabled would know how others call them or know to look to begin with, being disabled and all...

[Asteriland]

I doubt anyone disabled would know how others call them or know to look to begin with, being disabled and all...

Save for people that are high-function, of course. A lot of people forget that disabled doesn't necessarily mean broken beyond functionality.

[Reploid Productions]

I doubt anyone disabled would know how others call them or know to look to begin with, being disabled and all...

I literally just deleted a guy in this thread for trolling disabled folks. Knock it off, this is basically textbook "All X are Y" trolling. (In this case, "All disabled people are too disabled to understand what they are being called.") Please review the site rules before proceeding.


~Evil Forum Empress Rep Prod the Ninja Mod
~She who wields the Banhammer; master of the mighty moderation no-dachi Kiritateru Teikoku

[Des-Bal]

I doubt anyone disabled would know how others call them or know to look to begin with, being disabled and all...

I'm special needs, I have dyslexia and two degrees.

[Jebslund]

I doubt anyone disabled would know how others call them or know to look to begin with, being disabled and all...

"Big sister's" wife (we're not blood or legally related, she's just like a sister to me and about 10 years my senior.) is deaf. If you weren't told and had never met her face-to-face, you'd think she was perfectly normal from written communication, and, really, aside from the fact that she can't hear, you'd be right. She qualifies as special needs/disabled due to being deaf, but there's nothing wrong with her brain.

[USS Monitor]

I doubt anyone disabled would know how others call them or know to look to begin with, being disabled and all...

"Big sister's" wife (we're not blood or legally related, she's just like a sister to me and about 10 years my senior.) is deaf. If you weren't told and had never met her face-to-face, you'd think she was perfectly normal from written communication, and, really, aside from the fact that she can't hear, you'd be right. She qualifies as special needs/disabled due to being deaf, but there's nothing wrong with her brain.

Yeah... I know a blind guy that definitely needs extra support because of his eyes, but he still has a working brain and can have a normal conversation. Different disabilities do different things to people.

[Larin]

As a person with a mental disability and some autism just say that i am disabled, if i talk in English, if i speak in Dutch i say that i am mental disabled, and about my workplace i would say daycare for adults with special needs, in Ducth it is called “Dagcentrum” and “Dagbesteding”

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Depends on the context I suppose.

Saying "That person has special needs" is more a statement of fact than an insult, because due to their disability they literally do have special needs.
Similarly, something like "that group of special needs" could also just be refering directly to the extra needs they require as people with disabilities.

^This. It's all about context.

[Geneviev]

I doubt anyone disabled would know how others call them or know to look to begin with, being disabled and all...

Oh? You know that I want to get a PhD and be a forensic psychologist, right? If I'm smart enough for that, I can definitely understand what people say about me. It's not too difficult, either.

[Katganistan]

"Instead of saying this thing, say the exact same thing but longer and less efficiently."

That's like the "Don't call yourself an MRA, call yourself a Men's Rights Advocate," debate from early 2016 and is equally stupid.

Her point is that you should say has ADHD rather than is ADHD if I'm reading that correctly.

Yes. They are NOT their disability, they HAVE a disability.

Seriously, this is not hard to understand.

[Katganistan]

It's my opinion. I can't ban what people can say.

Well, you would be surprised how easily you can ban something by being offended by it. All you need is the support of triggered tumblr users and liberal arts majors, and you can ban anything and turn the world into a giant safe space. But I’m glad you aren’t like that. You actually understand how free speech works.

Apparently you do not understand how free speech works.

Free speech only means the government can't arrest you for saying "I think we should call people retards if we want to."

It doesn't mean that other people can't call you out for being offensive, or that you can't be fired by your boss if it reflects badly on their company, or that you can't be ejected from business establishments, private homes, privately owned websites, concert venues etc. for saying it. It doesn't mean that there are no consequences for saying it any place where it violates codes of conduct -- like universities -- either.
credit: https://xkcd.com/1357/

[Albrenia]

Well, you would be surprised how easily you can ban something by being offended by it. All you need is the support of triggered tumblr users and liberal arts majors, and you can ban anything and turn the world into a giant safe space. But I’m glad you aren’t like that. You actually understand how free speech works.

Apparently you do not understand how free speech works.

Free speech only means the government can't arrest you for saying "I think we should call people retards if we want to."

It doesn't mean that other people can't call you out for being offensive, or that you can't be fired by your boss if it reflects badly on their company, or that you can't be ejected from business establishments, private homes, privately owned websites, concert venues etc. for saying it.

I always do laugh when I hear poor oppressed right-wingers bleating about violations of free speech, when complaining about privately owned things telling them to fuck off with their shit. You're absolutely correct, you only have freedom from government punishment for your speech, not other people deciding you're an arse and denying you a platform.

[New Emeline]

Apparently you do not understand how free speech works.

Free speech only means the government can't arrest you for saying "I think we should call people retards if we want to."

It doesn't mean that other people can't call you out for being offensive, or that you can't be fired by your boss if it reflects badly on their company, or that you can't be ejected from business establishments, private homes, privately owned websites, concert venues etc. for saying it.

I always do laugh when I hear poor oppressed right-wingers bleating about violations of free speech, when complaining about privately owned things telling them to fuck off with their shit. You're absolutely correct, you only have freedom from government punishment for your speech, not other people deciding you're an arse and denying you a platform.

EDIT: oops Katganistan posted it first.

[Keshetar]

I think it is actually very dehumanizing.
Okay, but I'll say too that I don't think we should witch-hunt or ban certain words. Using the term "special needs" is just as good as using the original terminology that it was meant to replace.

Considering I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at one point, some people would say I have "special needs" which I think is very condescending. At the same time, I don't have a problem with saying certain things or people being jerks (it's always going to be that way). I'm not a snowflake that is offended by jokes about autism or disabilities. If it weren't for my diagnosis existing, I would just come off as a little "weird", now thanks to the "autism" label today, I'm potentially being associated with caricatures that don't represent me at all.

[Des-Bal]

Apparently you do not understand how free speech works.

Free speech only means the government can't arrest you for saying "I think we should call people retards if we want to."

It doesn't mean that other people can't call you out for being offensive, or that you can't be fired by your boss if it reflects badly on their company, or that you can't be ejected from business establishments, private homes, privately owned websites, concert venues etc. for saying it. It doesn't mean that there are no consequences for saying it any place where it violates codes of conduct -- like universities -- either.
credit: https://xkcd.com/1357/

And freedom of religion doesn't mean I can't forbid jews from entering my home. Too many people read that fucking comic and then pretend to believe in free speech just because they don't believe in violating the constitution.

[Albrenia]

Apparently you do not understand how free speech works.

Free speech only means the government can't arrest you for saying "I think we should call people retards if we want to."

It doesn't mean that other people can't call you out for being offensive, or that you can't be fired by your boss if it reflects badly on their company, or that you can't be ejected from business establishments, private homes, privately owned websites, concert venues etc. for saying it. It doesn't mean that there are no consequences for saying it any place where it violates codes of conduct -- like universities -- either.
credit: https://xkcd.com/1357/

And freedom of religion doesn't mean I can't forbid jews from entering my home. Too many people read that fucking comic and then pretend to believe in free speech just because they don't believe in violating the constitution.

You don't have to let anyone into your home, unless they have a warrant or something.

[Des-Bal]

You don't have to let anyone into your home, unless they have a warrant or something.

Yeah and if I point out you're being a real fuck you haven't really refuted me by pointing out that it's legal.

[Cekoviu]

You don't have to let anyone into your home, unless they have a warrant or something.

Yeah and if I point out you're being a real fuck you haven't really refuted me by pointing out that it's legal.

What exactly are you trying to prove with this statement?

[Des-Bal]

What exactly are you trying to prove with this statement?

That there is no purpose in saying "it's not against the law" unless people are saying it is.