Quick Tips: How to Communicate with and About Individuals with Disabilities

Think Before You Speak
  • When talking to a person with a disability, speak directly to that person rather than through a companion, aide, or sign language interpreter.
  • Don't try to "watch your words". Making small talk with a person who has any type of disability is great, just talk to him/her as you would with anyone else.
Be Sensitive About Physical Contact
  • Give consideration to and RESPECT every person's personal space.
  • Some people with disabilities depend on their arms for support. Grabbing their arms, even if your intention was to assist, could knock him/her off balance.
  • DO NOT lean on, hang from, or hang your coat, or bag on a person's wheelchair. These things are similar to hanging, or leaning on someone's body and many wheelchair users find this to be annoying. Avoid touching his/her wheelchair, scooter, or cane. People with disabilities consider their equipment part of their personal space; an extension of their bodies.
Ask Before You Help
  • Just because a person has a disability, DO NOT assume that he/she needs your help. Feel free to offer assistance, but don't be offended when the person says, "No, thanks." If he/she wants assistance, ask how you can help, and let them tell you exactly what they need.
  • Keep in mind that most adults with disabilities want to be seen and treated as independent, capable people.
  • NEVER distract or touch a service dog in harness, and without first asking the owner.
Tips For Communicating With Individuals With Hearing impairment Or Deafness.
  • There is a range of communication preferences and styles among people with hearing loss. People with hearing impairments will inform you what works best for them. Speak in a normal tone of voice.
  • Face them the whole time you are speaking. Eye contact is very important. Speak clearly. Most people who are hard of hearing count on watching people's lips as they speak to help them understand.
  • An expressive and mobile facial expression gives more clues than a passive one.
  • Speak directly to the person, NOT their interpreter.
  • If you telephone an individual, let the phone ring longer than usual.
  • If you do not have a text telephone, or teletypewriter (TTY), which is also known as a TDD, dial 711 to reach the national telecommunications relay service.
  • If you receive a relay call, the operator will identify it as such. Please DO NOT hang up; This is the way that people who are deaf are able to place an order for pizza or call a store to find out their hours.
Tips For Communicating With Individuals With Visual Impairment
  • Verbally give the person information that is visually obvious to individuals who can see.
  • When conversing in a group, remember to identify yourself and the person that you are speaking to.
Tips For Communicating With Individuals With Mobility Impairment
  • If possible, put yourself at the wheelchair users' eye level. Stand back a few feet from that person, or get a chair to sit on, while talking with the person.
  • If you telephone the individual, let it ring longer than usual to allow extra time for the person to reach the telephone.
Always Use People First Language
  • Always try to use "people-first language." Example: refer to a "person with intellectual disabilities", rather than "intellectually disabled."
  • NOT the Deaf but people who are Deaf (or hearing impaired).
  • NOT the visually impaired but people who are visually impaired.
  • NOT the disabled but people with disabilities, or people who are disabled.
  • NOT "suffering from" Muscular Dystrophy or Cerebral Palsy but "person with" Muscular Dystrophy or Cerebral Palsy.
  • "Down Syndrome" has replaced "Down's Syndrome" and "mongoloid."
Positive Language Empowers
  • Use words that stress equality and active participation.
  • Avoid language that implies victimization or is patronizing.
  • People have intellectual disabilities, rather than are "suffering from," "afflicted with," or a "victim of" intellectual disabilities.
  • A person is physically challenged, disabled, or handicapped, rather than "crippled."
  • A person "uses a wheelchair," or is a "wheelchair user," rather "wheelchair bound," "confined," or "restricted to" to a wheelchair.
Affirmative Phrases
  • Person with an intellectual, cognitive, developmental disability
  • Person who is blind, visually impaired
  • Person who is hard of hearing
  • Person who uses a wheelchair
  • Person with a physical disability
  • Person with Cerebral palsy
  • Person who has epilepsy, person with a seizure disorder
  • Unable to speak, uses synthetic speech
Negative Phrases
  • Retarded, mentally defective
  • The blind
  • Suffers a hearing loss
  • Confined, restricted to a wheelchair
  • Crippled, lame, deformed
  • CP victim, suffering from CP
  • Epileptic
  • Dumb, mute

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