Business Etiquette: Dealing with Persons with Disabilities/Part 2
Posted on Mon, Apr 12, 2010
by Jeremy Willinger
Part 2
When you're asked to assist a person with disabilities, make sure you do it graciously and without fuss.
Though you may have the best of intentions, try not to offer physical assistance without asking if you may do so. People with disabilities may depend on their arms and legs for balance, and even if your goal is to guide them up stairs or across the street, for example, your input may be inadvertently putting them at risk. If a person is in a wheelchair or using a scooter or cane, that equipment should be considered part of their personal space and should be treated accordingly.
Proper etiquette also calls for the person without a disability to be aware of their surroundings. If you are sharing space with a person in a wheelchair, let them set the pace as you move about, and, if possible, do some research beforehand so you can inform restaurants and other establishments ahead of time that a ramp or other accommodations will be needed -- and know where they are located.
Since not every disability is physical (such as a learning disability), it is important to read and understand subtle cues. Proper etiquette demands, for example, that if a person asks to have something written down or explained multiple times, you must graciously do so. Not everyone is comfortable sharing that they have a disability, and by acquiescing, you demonstrate that you have listened and that you care.