Essay Sample on Co-Culture

Co-Culture is an important thing in our everyday lives. The definition of Co-Culture according to the Interaction Design Foundation, “Co-culture is a group whose values, beliefs or behaviors set it apart from the larger culture, which it is a part of and with which it shares many similarities” (Geddes). We all have them in our culture, do you know yours?  There are plenty co-cultures in our lives. For some it may be harder to excel in. The Co-Culture between hobbies and people with disabilities. Those hobbies include anything from hiking to Olympic sports like running. However, the desire for people with disabilities is far too strong to shut down. People with disabilities still have a way to enjoy their hobbies. 

People with disabilities have a great desire to compete for their favorite hobbies. Everyone may know the Olympics however there is a Olympics for people with disabilities. The Special Olympics deals with ensuring people with disabilities can still fairly compete for challenges of their most loved athletic hobbies. With the help of the Special Olympics people with a learning disorder can get employed into jobs that they love. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “in 2020, 17.9 percent of persons with a disability were employed.” Sadly for the rate of employment ins sports journalism is much lower. With the Special Olympics however, not only do the athletes have disabilities even the journalists, mascots, customer service representative all have a disability. With that the Co-Cultures symbols are heard on both sides of the spectrum. The value for their Special Olympics job is far more respected then their other jobs. Here is what one employee had to say about their Special Olympics career, “I feel more important coming to work at Special Olympics then I do my other job.” The values people with disabilities have while working to continue their passionate hobby is unreal. 

The language in Special Olympics is very honest-to-goodness and heartfelt. The language used for the athletes in Special Olympics is called people-first language. The meaning of people-first language is, “Way of communicating that reflects knowledge and respect for people with disabilities by choose words that recognize the person first and foremost as the primary reference.” When people with disabilities are competing in their athletic hobbies it is very important to show respect and appreciate that they are a person before they are a athlete. 

Behavioral norms for people with disabilities are sometimes very important. In an interview with Austin; who is a very respected soccer coach volunteer for the Special Olympic in Arizona said, “ It is very important to not use aggressive language and to make sure you always respect ones personal space.”  For some people with disabilities it is very important you ensure they get personal space because sometimes they can see that as disrespect and will not feel comfortable with playing their hobbies with others. 

The values people with disabilities have for their hobbies is so deeply passionate and loved. With the Special Olympics the majority of the values from all the employees and athletes are, “Sportsmanship with Joy, Athlete Leadership, Unity, Bravery and Perseverance” (Special Olympics). Great leadership and sportsmanship are the two greatest values anyone with a hobby can have. With these values empathized in the Special Olympics, people with disabilities can enjoy their hobbies in a polite and respectable way. 

Co-Culture is a very important aspect in everyone’s lives.  Co-culture is what benefits our Interpersonal Communications. For some it may be harder to enjoy their hobbies then it is for others. However, there are non-profit organizations that makes sure everyone can enjoy their Co-culture. People with disabilities are very passionate about their hobbies and nothing will every change that. 

Works Cited

Geddes, John. “Co-Cultures and Value Framing: Know Your Users.” The Interaction Design Foundation, 2020, https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/co-cultures-and-value-framing-know-your-users. 

Russell, Austin. “Arizona Special Olympics Volunteer.” 26 Jan. 2022. 

Nealon, RJ. “Special Olympics Athletes Employed by Special Olympics Programs Strive for Inclusion in the Workforce.” SpecialOlympics.org, SpecialOlympics.org, 4 Oct. 2021, https://www.specialolympics.org/stories/athletes/special-olympics-athletes-employed-by-special-olympics-programs-strive-for-inclusion-in-the-workforce. 

“Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics Summary.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 24 Feb. 2021, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/disabl.nr0.htm. 

Messages and Talking Points - Special Olympics. 24 Feb. 2021, http://media.specialolympics.org/soi/files/resources/Communications/Annual-Report/2013-Special-Olympics-Messages-Talking-Points.pdf.