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We all have special needs, you know. For example, it could be that we need to wear glasses because our eyes sight isn’t perfect. Or it could mean that we need extra help with schoolwork because we ‘just don’t get maths!’
But some people have special needs that are not experienced by a large number of people. They may be misunderstood by others. Maybe they are treated with impatience or intolerance, or treated unfairly in some way. Perhaps people stare at them or avoid being around them.
This page is here to help us understand other people and to realise that we all have something to offer each other, so that we are all treated equally and with respect. It may also be of help to those of us who have friends or family members with special needs. We can’t cover every possible special need but hopefully the following will you give you a better insight into how other people live.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
This means being deaf or hard of hearing. There are about nine million deaf or hard of hearing people in the UK (although only 2 million people use hearing aids), and there are about 20,000 children aged 0 to 15 years who are moderately to profoundly deaf. Many more have temporary hearing problems in early childhood. People who are deaf or hard of hearing choose to communicate in different ways, depending on the level of their deafness, including lip reading, sign language, and finger spelling.
Royal National Institute for the Deaf: www.rnid.org.uk
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Sight Problems
This can range from blindness to being partially sighted. There are lots of different kinds of visual impairment. For instance, some people can only see shades and shadows and light, others may only see things in tunnel vision. Some people are born with a visual impairment, others become blind or visually impaired through life.
Royal National Institute for the Blind: www.rnib.org.uk
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Physical Disabilities
For many of us this may be the most obvious special need that someone has – because it’s something that we can see. However, even then we can misunderstand a person’s needs. For example, just because someone happens to use a wheelchair or doesn’t walk or move in the same way as us it doesn’t mean that they can’t do many if not all the things that we do. However, sometimes, things are made difficult for them. For example, if there is no easy access to buildings or transport then they can’t participate in the same things as everyone else, and that is wrong. In this country, we are getting much better at ensuring that people with any disability aren’t discriminated against, and that they have the same opportunities as everyone else.
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Learning Disabilities
Learning Disabilities are among the most common disabilities in the UK, yet they are widely misunderstood. People with learning difficulties often face prejudice, discrimination, bullying and may be excluded from activities or everyday things that we take for granted.
Many people with learning difficulties say that having friends and belonging to a group are important in their lives. Some people with learning difficulties like to belong to a church, mosque, synagogue or temple, for example. So, it is important for us to be welcoming and offer friendship to people who may have special needs, treating them with the same respect that we expect for ourselves.
Special Schools
Many children and young people with special needs are able to attend a mainstream school quite happily, and their needs are met within that school. However, some children and young people with special needs may attend a Special School where their specific needs can be met much better, and where there are better facilities for them.
Growing Up
Becoming an adult can be a hard time for young people with learning disabilities and their families. Some may need more support to make decisions and choices. Others may need help so that they can live independently.
Families
Families of people with learning difficulties need support too, especially if they spend a lot of time and energy in caring for someone, even when they become adults.
Spiritual Needs
It’s also important to meet the religious and spiritual needs of people with learning disabilities, and as Christians and members of the Church we can make the church a place where they feel they belong, where they are valued as important members of the Church in their own right.
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Finally
People with Special Needs are just that – they are PEOPLE with special needs. Everyone deserves the same respect that we expect for ourselves, and we all need to be understood and accepted for who we are. Also, it’s important to remember that we all need help from time to time, we all need things adapted in order for us to achieve the things we need to do: whether it’s an everyday activity or a once in a lifetime activity. We are all equal, we are all the same - we just have different abilities and different needs.
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Some Useful Links
www.cafamily.org.uk for families with disabled children
www.scope.org.uk disability organisation whose focus is people with cerebral palsy
www.rnid.org.uk Royal National Institute for the Deaf
www.rnib.org.uk Royal National Institute for the Blind
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