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Disability Awareness:
Ten Commandments
For Communicating with Persons with Disabilities
Adapted by Karen Meyer for United Cerebral Palsy
Associations, Inc.
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When talking with a person
with a disability, speak directly to that person rather than
through a companion or sign language interpreter who may be
present.
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When introduced to a person with a disability, it is appropriate
to offer to shake hands. People with limited hand use or who
wear an artificial limb can usually shake hands. (Shaking hands
with the left hand is an acceptable greeting.)
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When meeting a
person with a visual impairment, 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.
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If you offer
assistance, wait until the offer is accepted. Then listen to or
ask for instructions.
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Treat adults
as adults. Address people who have disabilities by their first
names only when extending that same familiarity to all others
present. (Never patronize people who use wheelchairs by patting
them on the head or shoulder.)
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Leaning or
hanging on a person's wheelchair is similar to leaning or
hanging on a person and is generally considered annoying. The
chair is part of the personal body space of the person who uses
it.
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Listen
attentively when you're talking with a person who has difficulty
speaking. Be patient and wait for the person to finish, rather
than correcting or speaking for the person. If necessary, ask
short questions that require short answers, a nod, or a shake of
the head. Never pretend to understand if you are having
difficulty doing so. Instead, repeat what you have understood
and allow the person to respond. The response will clue you in
and guide your understanding.
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When speaking
with a person in a wheelchair or a person who uses crutches,
place yourself at eye level in front of the person to facilitate
the conversation.
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To get the
attention of a person who is hearing-impaired, tap the person on
the shoulder or wave your hand. Look directly at the person and
speak clearly, slowly and expressively to establish if the
person can read your lips. Not all people with a hearing
impairment can lip-read. For those who do lip-read, be sensitive
to their needs by placing yourself facing the light source and
keeping hands, cigarettes and food away from your mouth when
speaking.
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Relax. Don't
be embarrassed if you happen to use accepted, common expressions
that seem to relate to the person's disability, such as "see you
later" or "did you hear about this?"
For
information concerning people with disabilities, call, write or fax:
AXIS Center for Public Awareness of People with Disabilities
4550 Indianola Ave., Columbus, OH 43214
614-262-8124 (V/TfY); 800-231-2947
(V=);
614-267-4550 fax
Funding for production of this flier
was provided in part through Grant k92-10 by the Ohio Developmental
Disabilities Planning Council |
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