Disability+Etiquette

=﻿Disability Ettiquette= As our schools and communities continue to increase access for individuals with exceptionalities, it will become increaseingly important for the population at large, especially the population providing specific services to be aware of appropriate etiquette when engaging students who have exceptional learning traits. The follwoing can be considered general guidlines for interactions with people who have disabilities.

Social Interactions:

 * **Avoid/Inappropriate** || **Use/Appropriate** ||
 * Raising your voice, or talking slowly as if to a child || Speak in your normal voice, volume, and pitch ||
 * Intterupting a person with a speech impairment/trying to finish sentence for them || Wait patiently for them to finish speaking... it is ok to ask for clarification ||
 * Putting your hands near your mouth when you are speaking to someone who is deaf/hard of hearing || Allow a good line of sight to your math so they have an opportunity to read your lips ||
 * Approaching someone who is blind or visually impared without announcing yourself || Say your name as you approach ||
 * Looking down at a person in a wheelchair for a prolonged period || Sit, when possible, so that you can make eye contact easier for them ||
 * Speaking to a support worker or friend of a person with a disability instead of speaking to the person themselves. || Speak directly to the person, if facilitation is required the support staff should be trained to provide that. ||
 * Handing materials (groceries, receipt, books, etc..) to the support staff || Hand materials to the person with disabilities ||
 * Assuming that all "typical" individuals accompaning a person with disabilities are support staff || Assume that people with disabilities have friends, and family members that are not disabled ||
 * Assuming that indviduals with disability want/expect pity or sympathy || Many indivudals with disabilities want to be seen/treated as "typical" peers ||