Disability Awareness and Etiquette

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Disability Awareness and Etiquette

• Its All About Customer Service

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Words with Dignity

• By using words with dignity, we encourage
  equality for everyone
• Avoid words like crazy, insane, mental patient,
  wacko
• Use epilepsy, not fits.
• Avoid words like Slow, retard, under-achiever,
  lazy or stupid.
• Other terms to be avoided are abnormal, burden,
  deformed, crippled, disfigured, stricken with,
  suffers from, spastic, victim Deaf and Dumb, Deaf
  Mute, You get the idea.

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Disability Etiquette

• Dont feel obligated to act as a caregiver to
  people with disabilities. Offer assistance, but
  wait until your offer is accepted before you help
• Do not tell the person that you admire their
  courage or that they are an inspiration. Do not
  express sympathy.
• Leaning on someones wheelchair is similar to
  leaning or hanging on a person. The chair is part
  of the persons personal body space

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Disability Etiquette for Vision Loss

• When offering assistance to a person with a
  visual impairment, allow that person to take your
  arm. This will enable you to guide, rather than
  propel or lead that person.
• Use specific directions, such as, left one
  hundred feet, or right two yards when
  directing the person with a visual impairment.
• Never pet a service animal, unless the person
  offers for you to.

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Disability Etiquette for Vision Loss

• When greeting a person with a significant vision
  loss, always identify yourself and others, for
  example, on my right is John Smith. Remember to
  speak in a normal tone of voice and indicate when
  the conversation is over. Let them know when you
  move from one place to another.

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Disability Etiquette

• Share the same courtesies with people with
  disabilities that you would share with someone
  else. If you shake hands with people you meet
  offer your hand to everyone you meet, regardless
  of the disability. If a person is unable to
  shake your hand, he or she will tell you
• When addressing a customer who has a disability,
  look directly at him/her. Tension is increased
  if we avert eye contact

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Deafness Disability Etiquette

• To get the attention of a person who has a
  hearing loss, tap them on the shoulder or wave.
• Look directly at the person and speak clearly,
  slowly and expressively, to see if they are
  reading your lips.
• Not all people with hearing loss can read lips.
  Those who do read lips, also rely on facial
  expressions and body language for understanding
• Stay in the light and speak as natural as
  possible. Shouting will not help.
• Use written notes. Use an Interpreter, if
  possible.
• Never direct questions to the Interpreter, rather
  speak to the Deaf Person directly

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Disability Etiquette

• When speaking to a person who uses a wheel chair,
  place yourself at eye level with that person.
  This will spare both of you a sore neck.
• Dont be embarrassed by using terms such as I
  gotta run or with a person who is blind, see
  you later
• Do not avoid common questions because you assume
  that the customer is sensitive or fragile.

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Myths and Facts

• Myth People with disabilities are small segment
  of the U.S. population
• Fact People with disabilities are the largest
  single minority in the country
• Myth Disability is an unusual, pathological
  condition
• Fact Disability is a normal part of life,
  experience by almost everyone, especially when
  they become older

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Myths and Facts

• Myth Disabilities affect other peoples families
• Fact Nearly 3 out of 10 (29.2) of American
  families include at least one member with a
  disability. Disability affects nearly all
  families at one time or another.

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Myths and Facts

• Myth The Americans with Disabilities Act has
  solved the problem of public facility
  accessibility for people with disabilities
• Fact People with disabilities continue to face
  signifgant obstacles to accessibility, including
  architectural and physical barriers,
  communication barriers and attitudinal barriers

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Myths and Facts

• Myth Removing physical and social barriers
  benefits only a few people
• Fact Society loses whenever any individual is
  prevented from leaving home, traveling to work,
  or from carrying out everyday activities , like
  shopping, going to the bank or eating in a
  restaurant. People with disabilities fully 15
  of all Americans-have the same fundamental rights
  to independence and full participation in society
  as everyone else.

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Myths and Facts

• Myth Disabilities begin at birth
• Fact Most people with disabilities have not been
  disabled for much of their lives. Only 1/5
  (21) of people with disabilities acquire their
  disability before age 20 while roughly half (53)
  have onset after age 40

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• When speaking about parts of a building or
  parking, replace handicapped with accessible
  (e.g. accessible parking, an accessible
  bathroom). When speaking about people, use has
  a disability instead of handicapped. As an
  example she has a disability is much better
  than she is handicapped. Reserve the word
  handicap for the golf course or race track!
•  Be considerate of the extra time it might take
  for a person with a disability to get things said
  or done.
• Most people with disabilities look at it as just
  another aspect of themselves -- no more or less
  relevant than having red hair or wearing glasses.
  If you look beyond the disability, youll see an
  individual whose life in all its variety is more
  similar to yours than it is different.
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