Spread The Word To End The Word Video Analysis

My gut reaction to hearing a film about wheelchair rugby was one of pity. I thought that as soon as I saw the players I would feel sorry for them not being able to play the sport the “right” way, or the traditional way. My unconscious bias towards disabled people seemed hard-wired into my brain. I was expecting less of them athletically but after sitting through the 88-minute documentary on wheelchair rugby I was proven wrong in the best way possible.

Over the course of this semester, I have come to the realization that above all, students with disabilities need to be treated with the respect and dignity that one would give any other child. This is why it is important to talk to and about people that have disabilities with “people first” language (Evans, Civil Rights Final Day, 9.17.16). This stems from the idea that a perceived disability is just one of a person’s many attributes. Students with disabilities are people that have individual abilities, interests, and needs. By using “people first” language, one emphasizes the importance of the individual over their diagnosed disability. According to The Arc, an organization that advocates for people with disabilities, “the language in a society used to refer to persons with disabilities shapes its beliefs and ideas about them” (The Arc, 2016). Using “people first” language not only ensures the person in question knows that they are valued, but it also helps set a precedent for the perception of people with disabilities in one’s environment. It also gives the student the opportunity to define his/herself, instead of being identified solely with their disability (The Arc, 2016).

I never put too much thought into the reaction I give if someone tells me their child has a disability therefore, never noticed if they showed distaste to any apology or sympathy I offered. I’m sure that I am not the only one who has not meant any harm by these things, but the article helps see the situation from the opposing parent’s point of view which offers enlightenment on how to handle future encounters to ensure everyone is comfortable and the language isn’t ignominious. I intend to utilize the wisdom I’ve learned from Ms. Snow’s article in my own classroom one day. Along with her words I now feel inclined to do further research on how to better create lessons, organize my classroom, and provide the proper tools as well as become a support system for any student with any kind of disability both learning and

As a human with no physical or learning disabilities, the culture and lifestyle of those with disabilities is still new to me. After watching Murderball, a documentary that focuses on the U.S. quadriplegic rugby team, I was happy to find out that there are still many opportunities for disabled individuals to participate in sports. Through dedication and training, it seemed that anything was possible for these athletes. Unfortunately, it appears that those with mental/learning disabilities are not presented with as equal opportunities for success in sports. Lauren McKeon’s “Why Won’t You Let Me Play?” focuses on the discrimination that takes place within the Special Olympics. After looking at the Paralympics and Special Olympics through the lenses of Murderball and “Why Won’t You Let Me Play”, it has become clear that people with disabilities do not have equal opportunities in sports, but this issue is not only prevalent in sports. Special Olympic athletes seem to face far greater exclusion compared to Paralympic athletes in athletics, daily life, and American culture.

The individuals with Disabilities Education Act states that "all children with disabilities, including mental retardation, be educated to the maximum extent appropriate with students who are not disabled" (2). In an ideal world, society would have no problem following this decree, but the world is less than perfect and, therefore, stigmas are unfortunately attached to those suffering from mental disabilities, especially the mentally retarded. One has to question whether this group of people deserves these stigmas. Having grown up with two severely retarded cousins and, for that matter, a great uncle suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, I often wondered as to what was happening

Before I went to watch the, I didn’t think that people with disabilities would be able to play sports as well as those without disabilities because of the complex nature of sports. Seeing

In “Kylie’s Project” Kylie a disabled 12 year old girl, shows how she overcomes and copes with her disability, and the misunderstanding surrounding her disability. For example, in the text it says “You know, Kylie, I thought you still rode in a ring with a trainer next to you. How does it feel to be out there on your own? ‘ KYLIE (smiling): ‘Amazing. It’s only temporary, but I feel so free. I can go places I could never go in my chair, like this path through the woods’.” This

We experience backing for the advancement of special needs athletics by the Special Olympics organization, celebrity support, and worldwide participation. The Special Olympics organization allows special needs athletes and normal functioning people to unify in the love of sports. “For more than 43 years, Special Olympics has been spreading the message: people with intellectual disabilities can – and will – succeed when given the chance.” As a true supporter of this organization it has been brought to my attention that numerous celebrities and many other people worldwide have grown in livelihood for these athletes. Laws have been passed to allow intellectually disabled student to fully participate on athletic teams. The WWE and other numerous professional athletic associations have showed full backing for these athletes and it is a great thing to see. The goal for these athletes is eventually to unify the playing field for every single athlete no matter the

The documentary is biased source of information because it only pertains to those who are paraplegic, and not to others who may be quadriplegic. One bias that should be made aware, is that not everyone who has a disability or physical impairment, will be able to engage in athletic events. The documentary may give off the impression that one may still be able to engage in physical activity, yet it may not be applicable to everyone, especially those who are quadriplegic. Another biases that may form, may be that people who are quadriplegic or paraplegic suffer from the same type of health issues. Although both types of people may rely on wheelchairs or a tool to assist in mobility, there is a major difference between the two. First, paraplegic and quadriplegic injuries both affect the spinal cord, yet those who are paraplegic are paralyze mainly from the waist down. Quadriplegics do have the ability to move all four limbs of the body as those who are paraplegic. By understanding these differences, one may be more aware of the different types of disabilities that are prevalent in our

Furthermore, school is a place where you make friends and integrate with one another. However, individuals with disabilities are often susceptible to face vast number of stereotypes, labels or discomfort at school. That is because of the lack of consciousness and biases that is created by imposing a distinction between non-disabled versus disabled from an early age. Valerie Piro tells us that some her classmates told her that she has a “perfect personal essay topic” (Piro 3). Her friends imply that she has the “perfect essay topic” because of her disability. Yet, it is rather confusing that they are being ironic, jealous or making fun of her situation. As Piro emphasizes, human beings need to “encourage one another to demand that society accept”

Starting my freshman year I joined Project Unify and began volunteering at the Special Olympics, working with intellectually disabled students to promote love and friendship through sports while also connecting them to the community. As a part of Project Unify, I was able to assist in encouraging inclusion and acceptance of students with intellectual disabilities in my school and the local area. I became an advocate for students with intellectual disabilities, reaching out to my peers to illustrate that they are not different than us and that the only divide that exists between us and them is one we create. We had campaigns throughout the school such as “Spread the Word to End the Word” to stop the hurtful use of the r-word. I took part in

Coming into this class I really wanted to grow my understanding and comfort discussing disabilities. I have been involved in Special Olympics since I got here and have made some friends who have disabilities. I have always found myself being slightly guarded/ concerned about what to say and how I have talked to both the athletes and my friends. I was always concerned that I was going to do something offensive and I think that limited my relationships. So I decided to take this class.

I grew up with a love for special needs kids and fortunately I have had the opportunity to go to the Special Olympic Summer Games with my high school for the past five years. Every time I go I meet so many new people and learn so many new things and I always leave with a better understanding of how to love life. Through Special Olympics I learned this saying “Spread The Word to End The Word” which is a slogan meant towards ending the use of the word retarded. This word started as a medical term for someone who is mentally disabled but over the years has changed and now is used to call someone “stupid”. Since the word has become a casual description of something so negative, even when it is used as slang and not intended to be offensive is still

Even though girls opportunity in sports was a huge issue nationwide, it might not have been the biggest. Special education in America had many people fighting for a long time since it was so controversial. I was interested to see what my father's school made of special education and how they approached it. Before anything else, I knew I had to ask my father whether the special ed students were in the same school as the “normal” students because if they were not then he really wouldn't have an idea on special education during his time in high school. After thinking about it for a second or two, my dad explained that the kids with learning disabilities and the ones who needed help were in fact in the same school building as everybody else. This did not really surprise me because I knew that many of the parents who had special needs children wanted their children to be mainstreamed and feel apart of everybody else to the best of their ability. When talking about mainstreaming with my father, the question of whether or not the special education students were in normal classes with my father and other students or if they were in pull out

Some schools use parts of their funding to allow the disabled children enrolled in special education and EC programs to participate in a program called the Special Olympics. The Special Olympics website claims “Founded in 1971, Special Olympics North Carolina provides services and opportunities to more than 38,000 athletes, supported by nearly 5,000 volunteer coaches, and we host nearly 600 competitions annually (Special Olympics).” The Special Olympics are a set of sports, set up like the regular Olympics, that help create a friendly and equal competition to promote and raise awareness of disabilities in the United States (Special Olympics). Sources have proven that the Special Olympics are a fun, and enjoyable way for disabled children to