Communicating with People who have Disabilities A Team ODOS Presentation Because we care

Outline  10 Commandments of Etiquette  When you meet someone who is blind  Dealing with Guide Dogs  When you meet someone who is in a wheelchair

Fix the Paragraph After their horrible juggling grenades accident, Bob was paralyzed from the waist down and stuck in a wheelchair. Jill became deaf and dumb. They visited their friend Grimm who suffered from blindness. They all decided to visit the gravesite of Tiny, their dwarfed friend. It was a shame that there wasn’t a handicapped path.

10 Commandments of Etiquette 1.When talking with a person with a disability, speak directly to that person 2.When introduced to a person with a disability, it is appropriate to offer to shake hands 3.When meeting a person who is visually impaired, always identify yourself and others 4.If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is accepted. Do not grab visually impaired people, let them grab your arm 5.Treat adults as adults

10 Commandments of Etiquette Continued 6.Leaning on or hanging on to a wheelchair is similar to leaning or hanging on to a person 7.Listen attentively when you’re talking with a person who has difficulty speaking 8.When speaking with a person who uses a wheelchair or crutches, place yourself at eye level in front of the person 9.To get the attention of a person who is deaf, tap them on the shoulder or wave your hand, and make sure they they can see you when speaking to them 10.RELAX

When you meet a person who is visually impaired Be Yourself  Introduce yourself  Do not view them as different or unique  Build a friendship

Offering Assistance  It is okay to ask a student who is visually impaired if they need some assistance. Just Say, “May I help you?”  Do not assume you know what the student needs or where they need to go.  Do not grab a person who is visually impaired when offering assistance, let them take your arm

Dealing With Guide Dogs  Approach the student on his/her free side  Do NOT pet the dog without permission. It is working.  Do not feed, tease or call to the dog.  If you wish to assist someone with a guide dog, first ask and wait for an answer  Do not say commands (you are not the master)  Never grab the leash of a guide dog  Do not offer food or treats to a guide dog

Giving Directions  Give explicit verbal directions. “Main street is that way” will have no meaning.  Estimate distances and state whether the person should travel left or right.  Report any changes in the environment such as construction areas.

Courtesy  Do not avoid the word “see” when talking to a person who is visually impaired  Ask if someone needs help  Talk about classes, events, etc  Offer to study with a student who is visually impaired  Build a new friendship  Offer to read them class notes

Fixed Paragraph After their horrible juggling grenades accident, Bob is paralyzed from the waist down and now confined to a wheelchair. Jill had become deaf. They visited their friend Grimm who is visually impaired. They all decided to visit the gravesite of Tiny, their friend who was a little person. It was a shame that there wasn’t a handicapped path.

Questions? Don’t forget to sign the attendance form Don’t forget your pamphlets and pins Put your reflections in your design notebook Proof your reports for this semester and correct all errors