Ten Tips for Interacting People with Disabilities:
1) People with disabilities are people first. A person is not a condition or a disease so we
reflect this by always using person, people, man, woman, etc. before disability when
referring to someone with a disability. The term “disabled” is not used.
2) If you are unsure about the proper terms and want to avoid being politically incorrect, or
if you are unsure as to how to help a person with a disability, don’t be afraid to ask for guidance.
You can ask the person you are interacting with or another volunteer or myself. If you are
unsure about how you handled a situation you can e‐mail me throughout the games and I
will let you know if you handled it correctly or if there was a better way to handle the
situation. The bottom line is don’t be afraid to ask for guidance.
3) Don’t provide assistance without first asking whether or not it is needed. If the person
accepts your offer, allow them to explain how best to help. Never grab the arm of a person
who is blind and try to lead them. If you want to help, first ask if they would like assistance,
and then allow them to take your arm. Likewise never start to push someone’s chair unless
they have asked for your help or given you permission.
4) Personal Space: Respect all assistive devices (canes, crutches, wheelchairs, scooters,
guide dogs) as personal property and part of the person’s body or personal space. Do not
touch, move, or lean on them. You wouldn’t normally go up to a stranger and lean on their
shoulder while talking so apply the same consideration for a person’s wheelchair. Guide
dogs are working dogs and are not to be distracted. You may ask for permission to pet a
guide dog but wait for the answer, be prepared to be told no and respect the answer.
5a) When interacting with a person is blind or who has a visual impairment use a gentle
touch on the arm to get their attention. and identify yourself and anyone with you. Also, be
sure to let them know when you are walking away. When directing a person with a visual
impairment avoid the use of directions such as “over there”, instead use phrases like “to
your right”. Be clear and concise.
5b) When interacting with a person who is deaf or who has a hearing impairment look
directly at the person as you speak, and don’t cover your mouth or eat. Do not shout.
6) If the person has a speech impediment don’t try to rush them or finish their sentences.
Don’t pretend you understand if you don’t really know what they are saying. If you are
having trouble understanding a particular word or phrase, ask the person to say it in a
different way. Be patient.
7) Speak directly to the person with whom you are conversing. Often, people with
communication disabilities will be accompanied by an aid, a friend, or an interpreter. While
you may acknowledge the presence of the third party, remember who you are speaking to
and direct your attention to that person.
8) Stand directly in front of a person in a wheelchair to talk with them. Don’t stand to the side
as some people in wheelchairs are unable to twist their bodies and some are able to turn
their body but do so with pain. There is no need to crouch, if there is a chair then you may sit
in it. (Power River circle story)
9) Greet people with disabilities as you usually greet people. If you are comfortable shake
hands. Some may not have full arms or hands and if you are still comfortable shaking what
they have than do so but don’t do anything you are not comfortable doing. It is also your
own choice as to whether or not you wish to lighten your grip. If you are unsure about
shaking a person’s hand first.
10) Intent: At the end of the day I say intention rules. There are those who use all the right
words and mean it in all the wrong ways and there are people who say all the wrong words
and mean it in the right way. It is fairly easy to recognize when people have good intentions
and most people with disabilities understand that some people are nervous or unsure about
how to interact and so they go by the overall intention of the conversation or interaction.
A Quick Guide to Proper/Improper Terms:
Terms that are acceptable put the person first such as “person with a disability”, or a
“person who has a spinal cord injury”, “person who has multiple sclerosis”, etc. For sensory
impairments “deaf or blind” refers to a person who has a total loss of hearing or vision and
“person with a hearing impairment or visual impairment” refers to a person who has partial
loss of hearing or vision within a range from slight to severe.
Unacceptable terms include “victim”, “stricken with”, “suffers from”, “ill”, “disease”
“afflicted with”, “unhealthy” All have negative connotations and make great assumptions.
“Disability” is a condition that curtails to some degree a person’s ability, it is a personal
functional limitation. A disability may be partial or total, temporary or permanent, physical,
sensory, or cognitive. “Handicapped” refers to a specific barrier be it physical or attitudinal.
For example, a wheelchair user is handicapped by stairs but if an elevator or a ramp is
available, there is no handicap. Therefore when there is “handicapped” parking it is
referring to the parking, not the person. (cap in hand)
“Confined/restricted to a wheelchair” or “wheelchair bound” are inappropriate phrases.
People who use a wheelchair or mobility device do not regard them as confining, they view
them as a means to personal independence and freedom. They would be confined to the
house without the mobility aid. The proper term is “person who uses a wheelchair”.
Do not say “in spite of their disability” or “despite being a person with a disability” or that
they “overcame their disability”. Recognize that a disability is not a challenge to be
overcome, and don’t say people “succeed in spite of a disability”. These terms reflect an
opinion that people with disabilities don’t usually succeed and that those who are in the
spotlight have succeeded despite being disabled when in reality they have succeeded and
just happen to have a disability.
Unacceptable: “Courageous”, “Inspirational”, “Brave”, “Special” You may be amazed at
how people with disabilities have adjusted and think that they are noble, courageous, and
inspiring but be careful with these words. Ordinary activities and accomplishments do not
become extraordinary just because they are done by a person with a disability and most
people with disabilities reject these adjectives and will tell you they have simply adjusted to
the barriers that life has thrown their way as best as they could. If you do use these words
they should be used in reference to the actions, achievements, or goals of the person not to
the fact that they live with a disability.