Microsoft Word - Disability Etiquette Guide.docx

DisabilityEtiquetteGuide

TheBasics

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ASKBEFOREYOUHELP

Interactwiththepersonasapersonfirst!Justbecausesomeonehasadisability,don’tassumeheorshe

needshelp.Offerassistanceonlyifthepersonappearstoneedit,andaskhowyoumayhelpbeforeyouact.

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BESENSITIVEABOUTPHYSICALCONTACT

Some

peoplewithdisabilitiesdependontheirarmsforbalance.Grabbingthem–evenifyourintentionisto

assist–couldknockthemoffbalance.Avoidpattingapersonontheheadortouchin g his wheelchair,scooter

orcane.Peoplewithdisabilitiesconsid ertheirequipmentpartoftheirpersonalspace.

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THINKBEFOREYOUSPEAK

Alwaysspeakdirectlytothepersonwithadisability,nottohiscompanion,aideorsignlanguageinterpreter.

Don’tapologizeifyouuseanexpressionsuchas“Igottarun”or“Seeyoulater”thatrelatestotheperson’s

disability.Theseexpressionsarepartofeverydaylanguage

anditislikelytheapologywillbemoreoffensive

thantheexpression.

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DON’TMAKEASSUMPTIONS

Peoplewithdisabilitiesarethebestjudgeofwhattheycanorcannotdo.Don’tmakedecisionsforthem

aboutparticipatinginanyactivity.

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TerminologyTips

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o Use“PeopleFirst”Language–refertotheindividualfirst,thentohisorherdisability,whenitis

relevantandappropriate.Say“personwithadisability” ratherthan“disabledperson”orusethe

followingformula:

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NameorTitleofaPerson + Verb + AssistiveDeviceorDisability

Professor,student,child,

applicant,etc.

 Has,uses,

utilizes,etc.

 Wheelchair,autism,

developmentaldelay,etc.

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o Thefollowingtermsshouldbeavoided

inadisabilitycontext,becausetheyhavenegativemeanings:

 Invalid

 Wheelchairbound

 Defect

 Handicapped

 Victim

 Suffersfrom

 Crippled

 Apatient

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o Don’tportraypeoplewithdisabilitiesasoverlycourageous,brave,special,orsuperhuman.This

impliesthatitisunusualforpeoplewith

disabilitiestohavetalentsorskills.

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o Avoidusingtheterm“normal”todescribepeoplewhodon’thavedisabilities.Itisbettertosay

“peoplewithoutdisabilities”or“typical”,ifnecessarytomakecomparisons.

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LabelsNottoUse PeopleFirstLanguage

Thehandicappedorthedisabled Peoplewithdisabilities

Thementallyretardedorhe’sretarded Peoplewithmentalretardationorhehasacognitive

impairment

Theautisticchild Thechildhasautism

She’saDown’s;she’smongoloid ShehasDownSyndrome

Birthdefect Hasacongenitaldisability

Epileptic Apersonwithepilepsy

Wheelchairboundorconfinedtoawheelchair Usesawheelchairormobilitychair,orisawheelchair

user

Sheisdevelopmentallydelayed Shehasadevelopmentaldelay

He’scrippledorlame Hehasaphysicaldisability

She’sadwarformidget Shehasshortstature,sheisalittleperson

Mute Communicateswithhereyes/device,etc.

Islearningdisabled  Hasalearningdisability

Afflictedwith,suffersfrom,victimof Personwhohas…..

She’semotionallydisturbed;she’scrazy Shehasanemotionaldisability

Normaland/orhealthy Apersonwithoutadisability

Quadriplegic,paraplegic,etc. Hehasquadriplegia,paraplegia,etc.

She’sinSpecialEd ShereceivesSpecialEdservices

Handicappedparking,hotelroom,etc. Accessibleparking,hotelroom,etc.

Client,consumer,recipient,etc.(e.g.,whenaperson

ismakingapurchaseatastore)

Customer

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PeopleWhoUseWheelchairsorHaveMobilityImpairments

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o Offertoshakehandswhengreetingsomeone.

o Don’tleanonortouchsomeone’swheelchair.

o Placeyourselfateyelevelwheninconversation.

o Peoplewhousecanes,crutchesorotherassistivedevicesusearmsforbalance.Refrainfromtouching

themormovinganobjectaroundthemunexpectedly.

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PeopleWhoAreBlindorVisuallyImpaired

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o Identifyyourselfandallowtherestofthegrouptodothesame.

o Offeryourelbowifsomeoneneedstobeguided;don’ttake his. 

o Walkontheoppositesideofaguidedogorcane.

o Givespecific,non‐visualdirections.

o Orientpeoplewithvisualimpairments

usingnumbersonthefaceofaclock.

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PeopleWhoAreDeaforHardofHearing

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o Followtheperson’scuestofindoutifshepreferssignlanguage,gesturing,writingorspeaking.

o Beforespeakingtoapersonwhoisdeaforhardofhearing,taponhershoulder orwaveyourhandto

getherattention.

o Useanormaltone,speakclearlyand

distinctly.

o Rephrase,ratherthanrepeat,sentencesthatthepersondoesn’tunderstand.

o Usefacialexpression,bodylanguageandpantomime.

o Ifasignlanguageinterpreterispresent,speakdirectlytothepersonwhoisdeaf,nottothe

interpreter.

o Bepreparedtowritenotestocommunicate,ifnecessary.

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PeoplewithSpeechDisabilities

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o Givethepersonyourfullattentionandbepatient.

o Don’tinterruptorfinishtheperson’ssentences.

o Ifyouarenotsurewhetheryouhaveunderstood,youcanrepeatforverification.

o If,aftertrying,youstillcannotunderstandtheperson,askhimtowriteitdownor

tosuggestanother

wayofcommunicating.

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PeoplewithDevelopmentalDisabilities

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o Speaktothepersoninclearsentences,usingsimplewordsandconcreteconcepts. 

o Rephrasecommentsorquestionsforbetterclarity.

o Stayfocusedonthepersonasherespondstoyouandbepati ent.

o Avoidtalkingaboutapersonwithadevelopmentaldisabilitywhenheispresent.

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ServiceAnimals

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o SomepeoplewhoareDeaf,blindorhavelowvision,orwhohaveseizuredisorderorarangeofother

disabilitiesmayuseaserviceanimaltoassistthemwithdailyliving.

o Don’tdistract,feedorpettheanimal.

o Respectthehandler.

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References

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“DisabilityEtiquette–TipsonInteractingwithPeoplewithDisabilities”

UnitedSpinalAssociation

www.unitedspinal.org

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“PathwaystoSuccessforPeoplewithDisabilities”

RoryA.Cooper,PhD;DianeCollins,ElaineHouston

UniversityofPittsburgh,SchoolofHealthandRehabilitationSciences

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“DisabilityEtiquette”

NavalAirSystemsCommand

www.navair.navy.mil/nawcwd/hrd/disability/etiquette.html

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