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Disability Etiquette: 7 Tips to Polite Practice
Following proper disability etiquette is
one of the best ways to make persons with disabilities feel welcome and
comfortable in any setting. Disability etiquette also makes good business sense
– helping you to expand your practice and effectively serve your customers.
Tip #1 – Respect the individual
Persons with disabilities have families, jobs, hobbies, hopes and fears. They
are people first and even though their disability is an integral part of who
they are, it is not what defines them. Don’t turn persons with disabilities into
heroes or a faceless “they,” but respect them as individuals who have much to
offer.
Tip #2 – Always ask, never assume
Ask before you help. If a setting is accessible, persons with disabilities can
usually get along on their own. If you are uncertain in any situation – just
ask. Don’t assume. Persons with disabilities are the best judge of what they can
or cannot do and will also be able to let you know how you can be of assistance.
Tip #3 – Respect private space
Persons with disabilities consider their equipment part of their personal space.
Don’t touch any assistive device or push a wheelchair without permission. If a
person uses a guide dog, don’t pet or distract the animal. Remember, the animal
is working. If you need to make physical contact in order to assist a person,
always ask first. Never grab a person without warning as this may cause them to
lose their balance. In the case of a person who is blind – offer your arm rather
than taking his.
Tip #4 – Communicate effectively
Always address a person with a disability directly. Don’t speak to his
companion, assistant or sign language interpreter. The use of common expressions
such as “see you later” or “it was good to hear from you” are also perfectly
acceptable. When communicating with a person who is blind, make sure you keep
them well oriented. If you are providing directions, be specific. If you are in
a group, verbally introduce everyone so that the person can take part in the
conversation and always let them know before you leave their side.
When speaking to a person utilizing a wheelchair or to a person of short
stature, the conversation will be much more comfortable if you face them on the
same level. You can pull up a chair for longer conversations or kneel down.
A person who is deaf or hard of hearing may use a combination of lip reading and
/ or American Sign Language (ASL). While many individuals who are Deaf utilize
ASL, it is not used by everyone and is not universal across cultures. For
instance, someone in Mexico may utilize a different type of sign language than
someone in the United States. When speaking, make sure to face the person during
a conversation. Speak clearly and be sure not to cover your mouth or shout.. If
the person is hard of hearing, their hearing aid will be calibrated to normal
voice level. Your shout will only distort it and also make you look foolish. If
a sign language interpreter is not available or the person is not a native
signer, a low cost and immediate alternative, if the customer is comfortable, is
to type back and forth on a computer or to use instant messaging.
For those individuals that have difficulty speaking, never pretend to understand
what someone is saying. Ask them to repeat their sentence. Most people won’t
mind and will appreciate your effort to listen.
Tip #5 – Use empowering terminology
Always use person first language when referring to someone with a disability.
Say “person with a disability” not “disabled person”. Avoid negative
disempowering words which focus on the impairment rather than the individual –
such as “wheelchair bound”, “crippled” or “handicapped”. Some persons with
disabilities dislike jargony euphemistic terms like “physically challenged” or
“differently abled”. If you are unsure of which words to use – ask.
Tip #6 – Ensure accessibility
Ensuring your facilities are safe and accessible to a wide variety of persons is
one of the best ways to communicate an open and accepting attitude towards
persons with disabilities.
Tip #7 - Be sensitive to hidden disabilities
If a person makes a request that seems out of the ordinary, it may be related to
a hidden disability. Hidden disabilities including a variety of conditions such
as a learning or psychiatric disability. Be sensitive to needs that may not be
apparent.
Would you like to reprint this article?
You may as long as you include this blurb in its entirety:
Lisa Jordan
is a disability and workforce development expert. Lisa uses her keen ability to
identify challenges and develop solutions so
that workforce development professionals can increase their comfort level,
productivity and effectiveness when working with a diverse clientele. Download
Lisa’s White Paper on 5 Easy Disability Tips to Immediately Increase Agency
Accessibility by visiting
http://www.human-solutions.net.
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