When making the Prezi, I needed to change my delivery method to really emphasize inclusion. The word “special” is commonly used with terms of exclusion, so I outlined my presentation in the form of exclusion, though highlighting inclusion. My points are spread out so that the opening slide of “special” is separated from the rest of the presentation. It mirrors that of someone with “special needs” or someone in a “special education” class being separated from others and being excluded. I then added a picture of how inclusion is taught to kids through games. I showed programs such as the Special Olympics, and the national inclusion project and their message and goals through a picture of their website and a PSA video of how inclusion benefits kids and teenagers. Lastly I closed with a music video of “Where is the Love” by the Black Eyed Peas. I quoted the most important lyrics of the song emphasizing how as a society we need to be united and we need to be understanding of others. My method of delivery was to show how important inclusion is, and close with an inspirational video to highlight its importance.

What makes the word “special” less insulting than the “R” word or any other derogatory slur describing those with cognitive disabilities? “Special” can be seen as just as exclusive as the rest of the descriptive terms. Oscar Pistorius, though he is not the most influential person in light of recent news, was quoted saying “I have a strong sense I have to educate people about disability.” Many naïve people use general and labeling terms to describe the cognitively challenged population and that causes arguments and rifts between the disabled community and the rest of society. The debates of word selection to describe the developmentally challenged are ongoing and inclusive word changes are made as society makes adjustments itself.

            The English Oxford Dictionary (OED) defines the word “special” by two main descriptions. The first is “to exceed or excel in someway.” This is clearly a positive use of the word that no one would ever have an issue with being associated. The other main use describes a person as “marked off from others in a weakened sense.” It elaborates this definition later as limited or restricted in thought and physical capabilities. Why would anyone want to be described by this whenever someone calls he/she “special?” By referring to the cognitively disabled population as “special” to their face or not some may see it as an insulting term.
            In the 1970’s, when people with disabilities started being protected equally under the law, the use of the word “special,” using statistical analysis, was shown to have hit a maximum. Since then, the word has slowly dropped off in popularity each decade. This is somewhat misleading because when doing a more refined search to specify uses (primarily negative) to include “special needs” and “special education,” it is here we see a spike in usage. This trend to use the word “special” in association with “needs” or “education” has continued and has been the preferred term by some. “Special” is the new preferred word of many friends, parents, caretakers and those with the disability, due to derogatory uses of the word “retarded, or “spastic.” Also seen in use is the term “developmentally challenged.” Some people prefer this term because it illustrates that those challenged just take longer to reach full potential, rather than never reaching it. An issue here is the intended response of the government influence to change the word was to not single out members of the disabled community and integrate them more easily with societies standards, yet they label them in social settings with these terms.
            I was lucky enough to have a positive experience with someone who could have been described by the second definition due to his cognitive disability. Throughout elementary school, there was a boy in my inclusion class that was labeled “special.” He befriended me, but other kids would steer clear of him. He was a really nice guy that suffered socially because of his disability. This boy was always invited to my birthday parties, and we would have the occasional play-date. Other kids would make fun of him, but he could always count on me to stick up for him. I looked at him as I would any other friend, normal. I always extended him an invitation to join, which was something he wasn’t used to. His mother reached out to me when we graduated from that elementary school and thanked me for watching out for him, showing him what a real friend is, and most important what it felt to be included. This is a main argument of those that have a disability. Clay Aiken was quoted saying “Inclusion is extremely important for kids with and without disabilities.” (http://www.inclusionproject.org/for-programs/what-is-inclusion/.The national inclusion project. n.p. 9/25/13) My experience is proof of this quote. To further his inclusion efforts, Clay started The National Inclusion Project to integrate kids with and without disabilities. The mission statement of the charity is “to bridge the gap that exists between young people with disabilities and the world around them. We partner with communities and inclusive programs creating awareness about the possibilities that inclusion can bring.” Everyone, no matter what background, should be included and accepted by society.
            Though some people with the cognitive disability like the word “special,” there are those that don’t, and see it the way I see it, insulting. In a Curb Your Enthusiasm scene, Larry David is in the bathroom having the discussion of handicapped vs. disabled with a person in a wheelchair. This proves that there are always two sides to word preference, and everyone has the right to be called what they want. In Nancy Mairs essay “On being a cripple,” she discusses how she likes being referred to as a cripple and likes people’s reactions to the word. “Cripple” is a word that in recent years has been deemed offensive; so most people tend to avoid using it and are shocked when people prefer this word to others. She later talks about how she would never call someone else a cripple because not everyone finds the word appropriate, and most find it insulting. This mirrors reactions to “special.” Just because “special” is a general term used in everyday speech, doesn’t mean all people with cognitive disabilities want to be associated with the word. 

With all labels and classifications, there become debates regarding which word should be used to describe someone. The term “special” used to describe someone with cognitive challenges has had its share of discussions and contrary to my views, is one of the more desirable terms in today’s society. This word is seen in use with “Special education, special needs and special Olympics.” Those who use the word are typically those with the disability, and the parents or caretakers of those with the disability. “Special” is the new preferred word, due to derogatory uses of the word “retarded, or “spastic.” Also seen in use is the term developmentally challenged. Some people prefer this term because it illustrates that those challenged just take longer to reach full potential, rather than never reaching it. Those who dislike the word, like me, can make the argument that it is just as exclusive as the other words trying to be eliminated. Though some people with the disability like the word “special,” there will be those that don’t and see it the way I see it, insulting. Going back to the Curb Your Enthusiasm scene with Larry David in the bathroom having the discussion of handicapped vs. disabled, there are always two sides and everyone has the right to be called what they want. Word’s like “special” though, shouldn’t become generalized due to the ongoing debates.

The word “special” can be dated back to the 1500s, as discussed in my last post. The use of the word, using statistical analysis, can be shown as increasing until about 1970, and then slowly dropping off each decade since. The word is slowly being eliminated from everyday vernacular. The usages of the word however, are both positive and negative until “special needs” and “special education” are the refined searches. This shows a drastic spike of usage starting at the same time “special” was starting to be erased from everyday speech. By this account we can assume that usage has switched from a positive to a negative connotation during the 1970’s, which was when disabilities acts were starting to pass and new laws were set to change the way people with disabilities were viewed. This was the time when those with cognitive challenges were separated from those without them. Since the 1970’s the use of the word “special” has been decreasing every year, and “special education/needs” has begun to level off. I believe in the next decade there will be a decrease in these uses as well.

Info obtained from:

http://corpus.byu.edu

http://books.google.com/ngrams

The word “special” has multiple definitions and uses and is from French or Latin descent. According to the English Oxford Dictionary (OED), the first definition is “to exceed or excel in someway.” By the third definition; however, the connotation of special makes a U-turn from positive to negative to describe a person as “marked off from others in a weakened sense.” It elaborates it The OED elaborates this definition later as limited or restricted in thought and physical capabilities. The origin of the favorable use dates back to the 1500’s when it was used with the term “benefits.” The negative connotation was used in the 1500’s as well when discussing “no species is less inferior.” On Urban Dictionary.com the word “special” also only has two main uses. The good, described as “unique and extraordinary.” The bad, described as “mentally not all together intact.” These differing uses of the word “special” remind me of Gloria Naylor’s review of the “N” word in her essay “The Meanings of the Word,” and how the different “N” word connotations meant completely different things. Naylor talks about how each use could mean the complete opposite, but there was more to her word than just good or bad. “Special” is limited in its two uses and are at reverse ends of the spectrum in meaning. I don’t see how they relate to one another and it raises the question of why it has these contrasting meanings.

“Special”

Why is the word “special” perceived as flattery? In my experience with the word, it has been used as a politically correct term. But I hear this word used with more sarcasm than sincerity. If it’s a birthday or a milestone, it’s that person’s special day, but when used as an adjective for a person, its just away of being “polite.” In my perception, the first use is positive, and the latter a negative. The negative use of the word “special” is commonly used to describe someone with intellectual disabilities. For example, we talk about a special education class, or a special needs child. I was lucky enough to have a positive experience with someone who had these intellectual challenges. Throughout elementary school, there was a boy in my inclusion class that was labeled “special.” He befriended me, but other kids would steer clear of him. He was a really nice guy that suffered socially because of his disability. This boy was always invited to my birthday parties, and we would have the occasional play-date. I looked at him as I would any other friend, normal. I always extended him an invitation to join, which was something he wasn’t used to. That’s the issue I have with “special.” Kids with intellectual challenges should be identified with an inclusion term, not exclusion.    

Candidly speaking, I view life through the eyes of the musical artist: thoughtfully and responsibly. I confront its changing rhythms, walking to the beat of my own drum, with consistent confidence and curiosity. My artistic lens helps define and focus my goals.

Music is a gateway to happiness; it energizes the soul, releases emotions, and spreads ideas. It's the most common use of expression in the world, and I discovered it in the 1st grade. I began learning scales on the piano, and since then, music has become my passion. I have expanded my portfolio to include the alto saxophone and guitar. In high school, I was in the wind and jazz ensembles, and the pep band performing at both in-and-out of school concerts and games. Whether I am bored, overwhelmed, or excited music is my go-to activity; it allows me to be at peace. After twelve years of study, music has shaped and guided me to be the person I am today.

This class in a way mirrors my passion. I enjoy sharing with others the experience and magic I have known since the arrival of that upright rectangular box in my home. As an English student, I am equally comfortable to share even the most outrageous ideas since we encourage each other, circulate thoughts and express our emotions, parallels jamming with other musicians. These new discussions will continue to allow me to be myself and continue the critical thinking that music allowed me.

Growing up in Bellmore, New York, I was never more than 30 minutes from the musical heart of Manhattan. I see my future back in New York globally connected through finance and trade. International finance has been a career goal of mine since tenth grade and like music it’s something I have a passion for. Music and finance connect through the way I reach ideas, and solve problems by having similar strategies of trial and error, and constant need for practice and study.  My name is Bryan Butler, and as my world unfolds, I know I will constantly be reinterpreting my persona, while the fermata of my internal composition will always resonate.