Tips for Optimal Interaction

• Talk directly to the person with the disability, even if they use an interpreter.
• Ask if assistance is needed, rather than assuming it is.
• Use a normal tone of voice. If the person cannot hear/understand you, they will tell you.
• When talking with a person who has a mental disability, speak simply, not loudly. Remember that simple language is not childish language.
• Be careful not to assume that a person with one disability also has others. A person in a wheelchair does not necessarily have a mental disability, nor is a person who is blind likely to have a hearing impairment.
• Be sure to make events accessible by considering the needs of people with disabilities when planning the events.
• When first speaking with a person with a vision impairment, always identify yourself and introduce anyone else who might be present.
• If you are a sighted guide to a person with a visual impairment, allow the person to take your arm at or above the elbow so that you guide rather than propel.
• When offering a seat to a person with a visual impairment, place their hand on the back or arm of the seat and tell them which way it is facing.
• When talking with a person using a wheelchair, do not lean on the wheelchair because it is considered part of the body space of the person using it. If possible, sit down when talking to the person so that you are at their eye level.
• When talking with a person with a speech impairment, listen attentively, ask short questions that require short answers, avoid correcting, and repeat what you understand if you are uncertain.
• When speaking to a person with a hearing impairment, look directly at the person and speak somewhat slower than normal. Avoid placing your hand over your mouth when speaking. Written notes may be helpful for short conversations.
• Do not try to avoid using common idioms like "see," "walk" or "hear" around people with disabilities. Being overly conscious of a person's disability can cause discomfort and awkwardness.