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| Welcome to Student Disability Services |
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Disability Etiquette
Initially, faculty and staff members may feel discomfort when interacting with students with disabilities. Usually these feelings occur when one focuses completely on the disability and not on the individual as a person, thereby creating an attitudinal barrier.
The section that follows outlines effective ways to interact and communicate with students with disabilities. Its purpose is to support a positive environment for faculty and students in which both can feel at ease.
General Guidelines
Persons without disabilities should be referred to as "nondisabled," not "normal" or "regular."
Rather than using words such as "confined," "bound," "restricted" or "dependent," the most appropriate phrasing is "a person who uses a wheelchair" or "a person who walks with crutches." Again, emphasis is on the person.
The word, "handicap," should be used only in reference to a condition or a physical barrier. Reference should not be made to the person as being handicapped. Examples include: "The stairs are a handicap for her," or "The slope of the land is a handicap to people in wheelchairs."
It is important to avoid labeling or using group categorizations that begin with "the" (i.e., "the disabled, "the blind.") Also, avoid euphemisms such as "the physically challenged," "the partially sighted," the handicapped" and "special." The use of the word "disabled" is discouraged without referring to the person first. The one exception is the term "the Deaf" - this population considers the cultural aspect of their group.
If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is accepted. Then listen or ask for instructions.
When talking with a person with a disability, speak directly to that person rather than through a companion or interpreter. If using an interpreter, talk to the person, do not reference the person to the interpreter (For example, "Tell him/her..." or "Can he/she lip read me?")
When planning an event, ask advice from people with disabilities to ensure accessibility and plan for providing accomodations if requested.
Keep your space when speaking to a person with a disability and avoid touching the person or his/her equipment (wheelchair, cane, service animal, etc.)
Feel free to use words like see, hear, or walk when interacting with people who are blind, deaf/hard of hearing, or wheelchair users, respectively. Don't be embarrassed to say, "see you later," or "did you hear about that?"
Guide dogs should not be petted or disturbed while working in harness. When guide dogs are not working, do not pet them without first asking for permission. Do not feed a guide dog. Guide dogs are given a prepared diet at home, and additional feeding may disturb their work routine.
When you meet a person with a "hearing" disability...
Attention getting technique - Tap the person on the shoulder or wave your hand.
Look directly at the person and speak clearly, slowly, and expressively. Use normal speed unless asked to slow down. Speak at a normal volume and speed unless asked to raise your voice or slow down.
If you are having trouble understanding a deaf person's speech, feel free to ask him/her to repeat. If that doesn't work, rely on paper and pencil or arrange an interpreter.
Ability to speech read and speak vary as greatly as ability to draw for humans. Follow the lead of the person with hearing loss/Deaf or hard of hearing person.
General and casual conversations should not include questions about the cause of the deafness, the amount of regret the person has for not hearing music, etc. It only causes an emphasis on the disability and not the entire person.
If the person is trying to speech read you...
Keep face and mouth clear, and avoid standing in front of light sources in order to make lip-reading easier.
Speak directly to the person, instead of from the side or back.
Speak expressively. Because persons who are deaf cannot hear subtle changes in tone that may indicate sarcasm or seriousness. Many will rely on your facial expressions, gestures, and body language to understand you.
If the person is using an interpreter...
Speak directly to the person who is deaf - not to the interpreter. The Deaf person will look back and forth from the interpreter to you.
Allow the interpreter to determine the best place to stand or sit. Sometimes the interpreter will have to be behind you. It is not considered rude to not look at the interpreter throughout the conversation. Relax and appreciate that the voice from behind you is actually the words of the person in front of you.
When you meet a person with a "mobility disability"
Offer help, but wait until it is accepted before giving it. Giving help before it is accepted is rude, and can sometimes be unsafe.
When speaking with a person who uses a wheelchair or a person who uses crutches, place yourself at eye level in front of the person in order to facilitate the conversation.
Do not lean on the person's wheelchair. The chair is part of the body space of the person who uses it.
When you meet a person with a "visual" disability...
When meeting a person who is visually impaired, always identify yourself and others who may be with you.
When conversing in a group, remember to identify the person to whom you are speaking by name. A gentle touch on the elbow will indicate that you are speaking to him/her.
Indicate the end of a conversation with a person who is blind in order to avoid the embarrassment of leaving that person speaking when you are no longer there.
If you are walking with a person who is blind, don't grab his arm. Rather let him take your left arm at or above the elbow. The person can then follow a half step behind and anticipate changes.
Do not leave a blind person standing in "free space" when you serve as a guide. When guiding someone to a chair, place his hand on the back of the chair.
Leave doors either all the way open or shut. A half open door is an invitation to disaster.
Thanks to Palm Beach Community College SDS Office for this list. (2004) |
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