Communicating with People who have Disabilities

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Communicating with People who have Disabilities

• A Team ODOS Presentation
• Because we care

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Outline

• 10 Commandments of Etiquette
• When you meet someone who is blind
• Dealing with Guide Dogs
• When you meet someone who is in a wheelchair

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Fix the Paragraph

• After their horrible juggling grenades
  accident, Bob was paralyzed from the waist down
  and stuck in a wheelchair. Jill became deaf and
  dumb. They visited their friend Grimm who
  suffered from blindness. They all decided to
  visit the gravesite of Tiny, their dwarfed
  friend. It was a shame that there wasnt a
  handicapped path.

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10 Commandments of Etiquette

• When talking with a person with a disability,
  speak directly to that person
• When introduced to a person with a disability, it
  is appropriate to offer to shake hands
• When meeting a person who is visually impaired,
  always identify yourself and others
• If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is
  accepted. Do not grab visually impaired people,
  let them grab your arm
• Treat adults as adults

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10 Commandments of Etiquette Continued

• Leaning on or hanging on to a wheelchair is
  similar to leaning or hanging on to a person
• Listen attentively when youre talking with a
  person who has difficulty speaking
• When speaking with a person who uses a wheelchair
  or crutches, place yourself at eye level in front
  of the person
• To get the attention of a person who is deaf, tap
  them on the shoulder or wave your hand, and make
  sure they they can see you when speaking to them
• RELAX

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When you meet a person who is visually impaired

• Be Yourself
• Introduce yourself
• Do not view them as different or unique
• Build a friendship

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Offering Assistance

• It is okay to ask a student who is visually
  impaired if they need some assistance. Just Say,
  May I help you?
• Do not assume you know what the student needs or
  where they need to go.
• Do not grab a person who is visually impaired
  when offering assistance, let them take your arm

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Dealing With Guide Dogs

• Approach the student on his/her free side
• Do NOT pet the dog without permission. It is
  working.
• Do not feed, tease or call to the dog.
• If you wish to assist someone with a guide dog,
  first ask and wait for an answer
• Do not say commands (you are not the master)
• Never grab the leash of a guide dog
• Do not offer food or treats to a guide dog

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Giving Directions

• Give explicit verbal directions. Main street is
  that way will have no meaning.
• Estimate distances and state whether the person
  should travel left or right.
• Report any changes in the environment such as
  construction areas.

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Courtesy

• Do not avoid the word see when talking to a
  person who is visually impaired
• Ask if someone needs help
• Talk about classes, events, etc
• Offer to study with a student who is visually
  impaired
• Build a new friendship
• Offer to read them class notes

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Fixed Paragraph

• After their horrible juggling grenades
  accident, Bob is paralyzed from the waist down
  and now confined to a wheelchair. Jill had
  become deaf. They visited their friend Grimm who
  is visually impaired. They all decided to visit
  the gravesite of Tiny, their friend who was a
  little person. It was a shame that there wasnt
  a handicapped path.

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Questions?

• Dont forget to sign the attendance form
• Dont forget your pamphlets and pins
• Put your reflections in your design notebook
• Proof your reports for this semester and correct
  all errors