The Button Challenge

The button challenge is something that I issue after one of my Open Forums on “special needs”. In these forums we learn about “special needs” and how we can educate others to be more empathetic to those whose needs present now and know our need may be just around the corner.

The challenge: Wear your button for a week. Educate others that ask “why you are wearing it, and what does it mean”. If it is hard to wear because of the label it represents then that only teaches empathy for those that do not have the luxury of being able to take their label off at the end of the week. Posted below are some of the experiences that others have had while wearing their button.

What is “Special Needs”?

And why the continued stigma in 2009?

“Special needs” definition per Merriam Webster is “the individual requirements (per education) of a person with a disadvantaged background or a mental, emotional, or physical disability, or a high risk of developing one.”  Well goodness, that sounds like just about everyone I know in one way or another.

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