Special Needs vs. Disability: What Are the Differences?

Society can be inconsiderate of the disabled, the handicapped, and the otherwise less-abled members of our communities. Healthcare workers across all fields have left their profession in droves thanks to Covid-19, so the problem is not going away. A lack of understanding of the different terms exacerbates the problem.

One such example is the difference between special needs vs. disability. The unaware will use the two interchangeably, but they couldn’t be any more different. Read on if you want to build a more informed, understanding future.

What Does the Dictionary Say?

You might think that the dictionary is a solid first step in figuring out the differences. While the definition of disabled is descriptive in a medical sense, it’s not very practical. The definition implies that the person is at a point where they can barely function, but that isn’t the case.

What is a disability, then? The reality is that many disabled people can perform every function like a so-called able person. The roughest definition we can give is that a disability refers to some level of physical impairment.

When it comes to legal issues, you start dealing with a razor-thin margin between what is able or not.

Is There Clarity in a Legal Sense?

There’s an entire world of legal definitions and requirements for anybody with disabilities. The first of our disability tips for anybody dealing with an employer is to get an FCE impairment rating.

This is a must-have for any disability guide dealing with employment. It gives you a detailed evaluation of specific ways you may have issues with a task. That means you do not get put under a generalized disabled umbrella term that does not mean anything.

Special Needs vs. Disability

Special needs are differentiated from disabled because it relates more to an educational context. The dictionary defines this quite well, citing emotional or behavioral problems as the root cause. It’s worth noting that it includes the physical aspect, but the wording is not as harsh.

Writing any kind of special needs guide is near-impossible, however. Like with disabilities, there is such a wide range of potential issues.

There is also the fact that not everybody who has learning difficulties or physical problems will define themselves by it.

Will There Ever Be a Clear Difference?

It’s best not to try reaching conclusions about someone with regards to special needs vs. disability. Even if you have a detailed account of issues they may have, you don’t know how severe they see it. There’s a certain amount of stigma attached to both terms, and it’s nobody else’s place to try and claim the word outside of a medical or legal environment.

Language finds use for both good and bad, and all we can hope is that descriptive words continue to find their place in a positive context rather than a negative one. The best we can do is stay informed on the latest issues, and one way to do that is by continuing to read our blog!