Interacting With
People Who
Have a Physical Impairment:

Tips For Interacting With A Wheelchair User

• Do not automatically hold onto the wheelchair; it is part of that person's body space.
• Offer assistance if you wish, but don't insist. If you force assistance, or give it unexpectedly, it can be unsafe.
• Don't be sensitive about using words like "walk" or "run." People using wheelchairs use the same words.
• Be alert to architectural barriers when choosing a facility to visit or use with a wheelchair user.
• If a conversation lasts more than a few moments, try to sit down to share eye level. It is uncomfortable for a seated person to look straight up for a long period.

Tips For Interacting With A Visually Impaired Person

• Vision impairment does not always mean total blindness. Most so-called "blind" persons have some usable vision, but not enough to function normally without aid like braille.
• If a blind person seems to need help, offer it. Identify yourself, and make it clear you're talking to him or her. If your help is accepted don't push or pull; let the person take your arm and follow your body motion.
• Go ahead and use words like "see" and "look." There aren't reasonable substitutes.
• It may be tempting to pet a dog guide, but that dog has an important duty and should not be distracted from it.
• When you're leaving a blind person, say so.

Tips For Interacting With A Hearing-Impaired Person

• Face the hard-of-hearing person directly, and on the same level with him or her whenever possible.
• Reduce background noises when conversing; turn off the radio or TV.
• Speak in a normal fashion without shouting. See that the light is not shining in the eyes of the hard-of-hearing person. If a person has difficulty understanding something, find a different way of saying the same things, rather than repeating the original words over and over.
• Recognize that hard-of-hearing people hear and understand less well when they are tired or ill.
• Keep your hands away from your face while talking. If you are eating or smoking, etc., your speech will be difficult to understand.
• Never talk from another room. Be sure to get the person's attention before you begin speaking.

From: Regional Rehabilitation Research Institute on Attitudinal, Legal and Leisure Barriers, Washington, D.C.