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I wish to preface this editorial with how if I am wrong in anything I am stating I'd greatly appreciate insightful comments to help me improve my perspective.

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Something I've observed about the special needs community is that it is very inclusive. This being how the Deaf look out for the Deaf. The Blind look out for the Blind. Etc. Etc.

As a visually impaired individual I've attended a few conventions geared towards the blind community. The common thread that comes up is how blind people need more representation with more laws passed to aid the blind community. This is typically coupled with how those who are not in the blind community have no clue what it is like to be blind and how we have to fight to get more rights for the blind community while scolding the ignorance of those who are not blind.

Along these lines is how it is known that each disability groups is fighting to pass laws that benefit their particular disability group. But it is impossible to 100% accommodate for any one disability group. So a vicious cycle ensues of nothing getting done while one disability group gets angry at another for getting their way while the other does not. These groups then grow prejudice towards each other while making those who are considered "Normal" the ultimate enemy.

These philosophies are much like what is illustrated in the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic episode "Hearth's Warming Eve". The Pegasus, Unicorns, and Earth ponies all see themselves as superior to one another due to their respective physical abilities. This causes them to engage in a vicious cycle of claiming one is better than another or purposely being prejudice in order to attain some sort of advantage.

It isn't until the end of the episode in which we learn that one's physical abilities and limitations are not how we should define ourselves.

In the case of the episode we learn that despite physical differences they are all ponies. Ponies who are able to contribute equally to one another whether they can fly, use magic, or farm.

We as humans can learn a lot from this. That no one person truly has it better or worse than another. One can be blind and still see as if they were someone who is sighted. Someone who is autistic can work at the exact same job as one who is not autistic. Someone who is deaf can carry on an intellectual discussion as well as one who is not deaf.

This said I cite the Cutie Mark Crusaders from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. One is an Earth Pony, One is a Pegasus, and one is a Unicorn. Moreover the one who is a Pegasus is a Pegasus who can't fly. Yet these three have come together through discovering what united them as a whole. They saw past their physical differences. They don't even care that the Pegasus can't fly for they see her what she can do instead of for her disability.

The point I'm hoping to make here is how we need to stop acting like one collective label is better than another. So long as we continue to act like the three clans depicted in "Hearth's Warming Eve" we'll accomplish nothing for the greater good of anyone.

We need to learn from what we see through the Cutie Mark Crusaders. That shared interests, ideas, and goals are how we should look at each other. That our physical appearances, abilities, and limitations are secondary to who you are on the inside.

The laws we need to pass should focus on making workplace discrimination illegal. Create stricter regulations of what an organization needs to do for those employees with disabilities they hire. The law says a certain percentage of the workforce needs to be diverse but does not say anything about how a company should treat those of diversity they hire. There is no laws protecting disabled or non disabled people from prejudice. This is something in which would benefit everyone instead of just one particular faction.

Rather than preaching to the choir at conventions geared towards one disability group we need to get paralyzed, blind, deaf, autistic, and every other sub group to start showing up at major business events, political rallies, and conventions. We may not all have the same limitations but fandoms, businesses, and political groups all contain many people of diversity. We need to unite under one banner to show we are a part of everything. Illustrate that we don't believe any one person has it better than another. Show the world that we are to be defined by who are instead of by our mental or physical abilities or disabilities.

The main point is that we are people who are more alike than what we allow ourselves to see. Though, like the Cutie Mark Crusaders, we can all unite under particular interests or goals.

Rather than fighting for blind rights, deaf rights, autistic rights, etc. we should unite and fight for equal rights. Show how disability does not mean inability. That more effort needs put into educating people that one size doesn't fit all when it comes to empowering one with special needs. Most importantly remove the stigma society has where having a special need means you are mentally inept or a welfare collector..