Disability Etiquette Quick Tip

When communicating with a person who experiences a disability that impacts hearing

1) Speak clearly and distinctly, but don't exaggerate.

2) Use normal speech.  Don't shout.

3)Provide a clear view of your mouth.  Face out when speaking rather than facing the board and repeat questions before answering them.

4) If you are having trouble understanding the speech of an indvidual who is deaf feel free to ask him/her to repeat.  If that doesn't work, then use paper and pen. Don't pretend to understand if you don't.

5) Speak directly to the individual, not to the interpreter.

When communicating with a person who experiences a disability that impacts mobility

1) Offer help, but wait until it is accepted.

2) Treat a person with a disability as a healthy person.  Because an individual has a functional limitation does not mean the individual is sick.

3) Speak directly to the individual, not to a companion or personal care assistant.

When communicating with a person who experiences a disability that impacts vision

1) Offer help, but wait until it is accepted.

2) If you are helping, and aren't sure waht to do, ask.

3) A gentle touch on the elbow will indicate to a person who is blind that you are speaking to him/her.

4) If you are walking with a person who is blind, don't take that person's arm, rather offer your arm.

5) Never pet a guide dog, except during "off-duty"  Even then you should ask the owner first.

6) Don't worry about substituting  words for "see" or "look" as in "I'll see you later."

Remember:

* Individuals with disabilities are people first, and like all people they want to be accepted and understood.  They want other people to know that their disability is not all that they are.  It is an inconvenience, but a disability need not be a handicap unless the environment they live in handicaps them with physical or attitudinal barriers.

Universal Design

Universal Design is "the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest exten possible, without the need for adaption or specialized design."

Posting course documents online is an example of a UD approach because it affords students a choice.  They can read the information visually, translate it to Braille, or can listen as it is read out loud by a computer program.

 Special Thanks to the UAA Disability Support Services for providing this information.