ARTICLES

00-01 When You Meet a Person With a Disability…..

--Linda Gravett, Ph.D.

I’ve often observed a colleague or friend meet a person with a disability for the first time, or an interaction with two people on the street where one has a disability and one does not. A pattern emerges in these types of encounters – the person who does not have a disability is often uncomfortable and unsure about what to say or how to act. Perhaps these suggestions will help:

  1. Do offer assistance as you would to anyone else as a courtesy – for example, to guide a person who is blind.
  2. Do not, however, guide a person without that person’s permission.  He or she may have a routine that shouldn’t be disrupted, except for obvious danger.
  3. Always talk directly to a person who is disabled rather than the person who is with him or her.  Some people assume that a person with say, a hearing loss, doesn’t want others to look at them during the course of conversation. They do.
  4. Do recognize that noticing an obvious disability is not rude; however, asking personal questions about it is.  Ask what you need to know to work with or interact with that person, not how they "got that way."
  5. Don’t be concerned if you use words like "walking" or "running" when talking with a person who is disabled.  People with disabilities use these phrases, too.
  6. Do be sensitive to architectural barriers in your facility, such as steps and high service counters.  It’s not only the law…it’s smart business.
  7. Remember that if a person does not turn around in response to your question or statement, it may be that he or she is hearing impaired.  Tap the person lightly on the shoulder to get their attention.
  8. Don’t gesture about a person who is blind to someone else when the three of you are together.  This will inevitably be picked up and make the blind person feel that you are "talking behind their back."
  9. Take your hands from in front of your mouth when you speak with a person who is hearing impaired – that person may be reading your lips.
  10. If you are speaking with a person who is attempting to read lips, stand in the light and speak slowly and distinctly (but don’t shout – it doesn’t help).

Click here if you would like additional information about this article or would like Dr. Gravett to contact you.