|
TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUICATION
|
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 sometimes can be unsafe.
- Accept the fact that a disability exists. Not acknowledging a disability
is similar to ignoring someone’s sex or height. But to ask personal
questions regarding the disability would be inappropriate until a
closer relationship develops in which personal questions are more
naturally asked.
- Talk directly to a person with a disability. Because an individual
has a functional limitation, it does not mean the individual cannot
communicate for himself/herself.
- Do not park your car in a parking place, which is specially designated
for use by a person with a disability. These are reserved out of necessity,
not convenience.
- Treat a person with a disability as a healthy person. Because an
individual has a functional limitation, it does not mean the individual
is sick.
- Keep in mind that persons with disabilities have the same activities
of daily living as you do. Many persons with disabilities find it
almost impossible to get a cab to stop for them or to have a clerk
wait on them in stores. Remember that individuals with disabilities
are customers, patron, and deserve equal attention when shopping dining
or traveling.
When you meet a person with a COGNITIVE
disability
- ß Use very clear, specific language.
- Condense lengthy directions into steps.
- Use short, concise instructions.
- Present verbal information at a relatively slow pace, with appropriate
pauses for processing time and with repetition if necessary.
- Provide cues to help with transitions "In five minutes wešll be
going to lunch."
- Reinforce information with pictures or other visual images.
- Use modeling, rehearsing, and role-playing.
- Use concrete rather than abstract language.
- Limit the use of sarcasm or subtle humor.
- If you arenšt sure what to do or say, just ask the person what
he/she needs.
Return to Disability Tips
Index
ACPA Task Force on Disability Issues
|