| THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR
COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES*
Like any employees, people with disabilities deserve to be
employed in workplaces that are respectful and supportive. In the same vein,
co-workers and supervisors need to be relaxed and respectful in their
interactions with employees with disabilities. These simple guidelines have
been developed to encourage this:
1. Speak directly rather than through a companion or sign
language interpreter who may be present.
2. Offer to shake hands when introduced. People with
limited hand use or an artificial limb can usually shake hands and offering
the left hand is an acceptable greeting.
3. Always identify yourself and others who may be with
you when meeting someone with a visual disability. When conversing in a
group, remember to identify the person to whom you are speaking. When dining
with a friend who has a visual disability, ask if you can describe what is
on his or her plate.
4. If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is
accepted. Then listen or ask for instructions.
5. Treat adults as adults. Address people with
disabilities by their first names only when extending that same familiarity
to all others. Never patronize people in wheelchairs by patting them on the
head or shoulder.
6. Do not lean against or hang on someone’s wheelchair.
Bear in mind that people with disabilities treat their chairs as extensions
of their bodies. And so do people with guide dogs and help dogs. Never
distract a work animal from their job without the owner’s permission.
7. Listen attentively when talking with people who have
difficulty speaking and wait for them to finish. If necessary, ask short
questions that require short answers, or a nod of the head. Never pretend to
understand; instead repeat what you have understood and allow the person to
respond.
8. Place yourself at eye level when speaking with someone
in a wheelchair or on crutches.
9. Tap a person who has a hearing disability on the
shoulder or wave your hand to get his or her attention. Look directly at the
person and speak clearly, slowly, and expressively to establish if the
person can read your lips. If so, try to face the light source and keep
hands, cigarettes and food away from your mouth when speaking. If a person
is wearing a hearing aid, don't assume that they have the ability to
discriminate your speaking voice. Never shout to a person. Just speak in a
normal tone of voice.
10. Relax. Don't be embarrassed if you happen to use
common expressions such as “See you later?” or “Did you hear about this?”
that seem to relate to a person's disability.
For information on education/training resources on
disability etiquette, see:
http://www.cabln.org/Training.htm
* The "Ten Commandments for
Communicating with People with Disabilities” were developed by the National
Center for Access Unlimited, 155 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 315, Chicago, Ill.
60606
|
