Ask Before You Help…
Do not automatically give assistance; ask first if the person wants help. Just because someone has a disability doesn’t mean he/she needs help. If the setting is accessible to his/her particular disability, usually assistance is not needed. If someone does want help, make sure to ask HOW you may best assist.
Be the assistant, not the director; let a blind person hold your arm and follow you. And don't be offended if someone refuses your offer of assistance. It's his or her choice to be as independent as they can be.
Be Sensitive About Physical Contact…
People with disabilities have the same sense of personal space as everyone else. Additionally, personal assistance devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, and FM loops should be recognized as an extension of the person using them. Therefore, if you wouldn’t naturally lean on an able-bodied person’s shoulder, don’t lean on a person’s wheelchair. Never push a person's wheelchair without his or her permission.
Be aware that some people with disabilities depend on their arms or devices for balance; so grabbing someone, even with the intent to help, could knock them off balance. Let a person who is blind hold YOUR arm when you guide them - not the other way around. Do not pet guide dogs.
You may gently touch a deaf person to get his/her attention.
Please do not recoil if you meet a person with AIDS; shake his/her hand as you would anyone. You can't get AIDS by touching. And your acceptance means a lot.
Think Before You Speak…
Always speak directly to the person with a disability, not to his or her companion, aide or sign language interpreter. Converse with him/her as you would anyone without a disability. If the person has a speech impairment, listen carefully and patiently. Ask him to repeat if you don't understand. If the person doesn't understand you when you speak, try again. Don't let him think your communication with him is not worthwhile to you.
If the person is deaf or hard of hearing, follow his or her lead; use gestures or write. If the person uses a wheelchair, sit and converse at their level.
Don’t Make Assumptions…
People with disabilities are the best judge of what they can and cannot do. Don’t make decisions for them about participating in an activity.
Treat the person as an individual. Don't assume that the person's disability is all he can talk about or is interested in. Find a topic of small talk, the way you would with anyone. Don't treat the person as a disability.
Do not leave a person with a disability out of a conversation or activity because you feel uncomfortable or fear that he/she will feel uncomfortable. Include him or her as you would anyone else. He or she knows what they can do and want to do; let it be their decision whether or not to participate.
Use Positive Language...
Use people first language when writing or speaking about people with disabilities. People first language always recognizes and puts the person first. For example: instead of “a wheelchair person,” try “a person who uses a wheelchair;” and instead of “the disabled,” try “people with disabilities”.
Avoid outdated and pity-centered terms like “handicapped,” “crippled,” “victim,” or “sufferer”.
Differing Environments…
Be sensitive about the setting. A noisy or dark environment, or people talking simultaneously, might make it difficult for people with a vision, speech, or hearing disability to participate in a conversation.
Be aware of clear paths of travel for people who use wheelchairs or are blind. Describe going-on and surroundings (especially obstacles) to blind person.
A person with chemical sensitivity may have a reaction to smoke, perfume, cleaning products, or other forms of toxins in the environment.
Hidden Disabilities…
Not all disabilities are apparent. A person may have trouble following a conversation, may not respond when you call or wave, may make a request that seems strange to you, or may say or do something that seems inappropriate.
The person may have a hidden disability, such as low vision, a hearing or learning disability, traumatic brain injury, mental retardation, or mental illness.
Don't make assumptions about the person or his or her disability. Be open-minded.
Learning More…
Lack of knowledge or misinformation may lead you to shy away from interacting with persons with certain disabilities. Preconceptions about mental illness, AIDS, cerebral palsy, Tourettes Syndrome and other disabilities often lead to a lack of acceptance by those around the person.
Remember that we are all complex human beings; a disability is just one aspect of a person.Learning more about the disability may alleviate your fears and pave the way for you to see the person for whom he or she is.
Overall attitude and approach to persons with disabilities…
As you meet people with various physical disabilities, you will likely find that you are apprehensive about how you should behave towards that individual. Every person is different and some will find it easy to work with such individuals, whereas others will find it difficult adjusting to working with people with physical disabilities.
Always remember that a person with a disability is a person. He or she is like anyone else, except for the special limitations of their disability.
Just Remember:
Ask for help when you are unsure. “Proper” etiquette with people with disabilities is just like “proper” etiquette with people without disabilities: it is sensitive and respectful. It also reflects a belief that people with disabilities are able to and entitled to participate in and contribute to society.
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