~Lynd~ Posted June 27, 2006 Report Posted June 27, 2006 I completely agree with what has been said, apart from the thing about brainstorms. The thing is, that is actually a medical term, but is now out of date and is a little offensive. Another, although much worse, example would be spastic. While most people would never associate the word brainstorm with epliepsy, it is probably a little insensitive to use it in a classroom environment. Maybe it is over-sensitive, but I don't think society loses much if we no longer use the word. In my school they started to call them mind maps, not thought showers. But changing the words of songs is just plain ridiculous. The fact that the sheep is black is not racism. I also hate tokenism. Does anyone remember the SATS and even GCSE science papers - "Sarah and Anil do an experiment....etc". It was completely obvious what they were doing, and actually I think tokenism is much more offensive than not having any minority characters at all. ETA: I am not epileptic, but I work with SEN children. A lot of them have epilepsy. Grrrr! Considering the amount of, unnecessary, policitical correctness in the world today, the use of that word ('spastic') in the English language today really, really, really annoys me! I don't think people realise how offensive it is...well, I hope they don't, otherwise there are a lot of cruel people in the world. I don't really know what I can say about it without getting really annoyed and wound up, so I think I'll just shut up now LOL But yes, I am, mildly, disabled and my friends (disabled and able-bodied) find that such an offensive term. That and 'retarded'.....but that's another story I agree.As i'm disabled to i find the terms retarded' and 'spastic',quite offenssive.If people say something or someone who obviously isn't retated retarted i feel like screaming and saying ''i'll show you a real retard you fool,just becourse you don't like something or something,dosn't mean they or it is a retard''.Rant over,lol. In the other ways mentioned and more,i think it's OTT though.
katya Posted June 27, 2006 Report Posted June 27, 2006 I work with special needs kids during the school holidays and mainstream kids during term time, and the way the latter refer to the former is horrendous. They're from quite a deprived area and the lack of respect they have is beyond belief. The words spastic and retarded are used all the time, as well as mongo, and it makes me really really angry. I won't say that it's down to a lack of understanding, because I do not believe that's a valid excuse; these kids know exactly who they're making fun of and why.
~Lynd~ Posted June 27, 2006 Report Posted June 27, 2006 I'm not mentally or intellectually disabled,i'm in a wheelchair.One day in a shop i heard this man call his kid a mong,when he obviously wasn't. I wheeled up to him and said,''excuse me yo do know what that means don't you?He isn't ,don't call him that,have some respect''.I was with 2 of my sister and they almost wet themselves laughing at me,lol.
Si-Co Posted June 27, 2006 Report Posted June 27, 2006 In NZ primary school, teachers are no longer allowed to say "Mum and Dad". They have to say "Caregiver" in case someone gets offended. To me, that's so OTT! Do you mean they would say, 'Children, take this letter home and give it to your caregivers?' If anything, 'to your parents or caregivers/guardians' would suffice. It's mad! By the way, I agree with Foxy's post too. I can't think of much to add to it, but I certainly understand where he is coming from.
Mez83 Posted June 27, 2006 Report Posted June 27, 2006 I went to school with a dwarf and she was on my netball team. She wasn't a very nice person at all. She used the fact that she's a dwarf to get her own way. For example, she'd say that she didn't get to play full games every week because she was a dwarf. Or she'd say that we didn't invite her out with us because she was a dwarf. She was a year older than us and we had totally different sets of friends. She just wasn't a very nice person, that's all there is to it. She could've been 10 foot tall and I still would've thought she wasn't nice! People who use their disability to get their own way really annoy me. Rant over.
~Lynd~ Posted June 27, 2006 Report Posted June 27, 2006 I went to school with a dwarf and she was on my netball team. She wasn't a very nice person at all. She used the fact that she's a dwarf to get her own way. For example, she'd say that she didn't get to play full games every week because she was a dwarf. Or she'd say that we didn't invite her out with us because she was a dwarf. She was a year older than us and we had totally different sets of friends. She just wasn't a very nice person, that's all there is to it. She could've been 10 foot tall and I still would've thought she wasn't nice! People who use their disability to get their own way really annoy me. Rant over. I hate that to,it gives a baad name to disabled people and those of us who don't and wouldn't. We arn't all like that,so i hope she didn't put you off disabled people Mez.Most of us are just like everyone else.
Mez83 Posted June 27, 2006 Report Posted June 27, 2006 Not at all. A very good friend of mine works with disabled kids in a home over here. I spent a lot of my time there a few holidays ago. And my dancing teachers 6 year old has a disability, although the doctors have no idea what it is. She has no muscle tone. She's just learning to crawl which is so exciting for all of us. She can stand now too! But only if you lean her against a wall. After about a minute you hear a wee voice saying "Had 'nuff! Had 'nuff!" She has the most amazing personality. I love her to bits. She's 6 but she has the mentality of a 3 year old. Even younger with some things. I could talk about her all day! And my grandmother is a double amputee. She's got 2 electric wheelchairs and so at Christmas we have wheelchair races. My legs stuff up my aerodynamics though so it's not fair!
katya Posted June 27, 2006 Report Posted June 27, 2006 The special needs kids I work with are amazing. The majority of them are so happy all the time, and so grateful for the time you're spending with them. I love them to bits.
Mez83 Posted June 27, 2006 Report Posted June 27, 2006 Hannah thinks it's hilarious to call me "Elizabeth" (Which is her mothers name) then she'll giggle madly when I try to get her to same "Meredith". She can say it too. Every now and again she'll call me Meredith. She just likes to stir me up!
~Lynd~ Posted June 27, 2006 Report Posted June 27, 2006 Lol,when i was younger i had races up and down the corridor in hospital with the doctors believe it or not!I take it as a compliment that they made idiots of themselves,looking back. These days it's the really cute guy that pushes the bed..I spend a bit of time in hopspital,i have to amuse myself somehow !
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