The 10 Commandments of Communicating With People With Disabilities

Disability Awareness Training

I.          Speak directly to the person with a disability rather than through a companion or sign language interpreter.

II.          Always offer to shake hands when introduced.

III.         Always identify yourself and others who may be with you when meeting someone who is blind.

IV.        If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is accepted.  Then listen, wait, or ask for instructions.

V.        Treat adults as adults.

VI.        Do not lean against or hang on someone’s wheel chair or cart.  Bear in mind that people with disabilities treat their chairs as extensions of their bodies.

VII.       Listen attentively when talking with people who have difficulty speaking and wait for them to finish.

VIII.      Place yourself at eye level when appropriate while speaking with someone who has a disability.

IX.        Tap a person who is deaf on the shoulder or wave your hand to get his or her attention.

X.        Relax, don’t be embarrassed by using common expressions that seem to relate to a person’s disability.

Taken from “Ten Commandments of Communicating with People with Disabilities”.  For more information go to www.disabilitytraining.com