Definition
The additional assistance required by disabled people.
The bigger picture
This term suggests people need ‘special’ treatment rather than equal access. It focuses on individual ‘problems’ which takes our attention away from the changes needed in attitudes, policies, environments, and systems to promote inclusion.
It’s also a broad term in that it doesn’t clarify the needs of a person or group of people, just puts people together in one homogenous group, where ‘they’ are ‘the same’, but also ‘different’ to ‘us’.
And too often it is used in a derogatory way, as in ‘he’s a bit special’, or as a euphemism for ‘disabled’.
To learn more about why this term should be used with caution, visit the related term needs.
Saying it differently
Try to avoid using blanket labels to define people. Focus on people’s rights, their gifts and potential and on the support or adjustments a person requires. If you need to refer to people’s needs, talk about their ‘individual needs’, ‘personal needs’ or ‘specific needs’.