The most important thing to remember when communicating with people with disability is to treat each person as an individual.
Basic tips
Consider the following basic tips when working with a person with disability.
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Avoid asking personal questions about a disability. Be considerate of the extra time it might take for a person with particular disability to do or say something.
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Be polite and patient when offering assistance, and wait until your offer is accepted. Listen or ask for specific instructions.
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Be prepared for your offer to be refused.
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Relax. Anyone can make mistakes. Offer an apology if you feel you have caused embarrassment. Keep a sense of humour and be willing to communicate.
Tips for face to face communication
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Use a normal tone of voice when welcoming a person with disability. Do not raise your voice unless you are asked to.
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Shake hands even if the person has limited hand use or wears an artificial limb. A left-hand shake is acceptable. If the person cannot shake hands, acknowledge them with a smile and a spoken greeting.
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When planning a meeting or other event, think about specific accommodations a person with disability might need. If a modification cannot be made, let the person know ahead of time.
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Look and speak directly to the person with disability, not just to the people accompanying them, including interpreters.
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Don’t patronise or talk down to people with disability. Treat adults as adults.
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Be patient and give your undivided attention, especially with someone who speaks slowly or with great effort.
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Never pretend to understand what a person is saying if you don’t. Ask the person to repeat or rephrase, or offer them a pen and paper.
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If requested to by the individual, offer a person with a vision impairment your elbow, to guide rather than propel them.
Tips when speaking or writing to a person with disability
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Refer to a person’s disability only when necessary and appropriate.
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Refer to the person first, then to their disability, for instance, ‘person with disability’, rather than ‘disabled person’.
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Avoid terms that imply that people with disability are overly courageous, brave, special or superhuman.