Etiquette Guidelines

If you are a first time volunteer working with people who have disabilities, you may feel uncomfortable. Reviewing some basic etiquette may help you overcome your discomfort and set a friendly and relaxed tone for your interactions with Ability Connection clients. We have also included a number of more specific guidelines for interactions with people who have particular disabilities.

General Etiquette

  • Relax, be friendly, but not patronizing. Treat adults as adults.
  • Remember, you are interacting with a person, not dealing with a disability or condition.
  • Talk directly to the person with whom you are interacting, even if they are accompanied by a friend, helper or interpreter.
  • Keep an open mind. Do not make assumptions about the limits of a person's abilities.
  • Always ask before trying to help someone, then wait until the offer is accepted.

Specific Considerations

There are also number of specific considerations for interacting with people who have disabilities:

People who use wheelchairs

  • Talk to the person in the wheelchair, not her or his friend, companion or caregiver.
  • Put yourself on the same level as the person to whom you are talking. You can squat or kneel, but if you are going to have a conversation, get a chair and sit down. You will be more comfortable and so will the person in the wheelchair.
  • Don't lean on the wheelchair.
  • Do not push or move a person's wheelchair without permission.

People who have a hearing impairment

  • Look directly at the person. This is true whether the person you are talking to is speech-reading, has a signing interpreter, hearing aids or some combination. We communicate with our facial expressions and body language as well as our voice. Allow your conversational partner your full range of communication.
  • Speak clearly, slowly and at a normal volume. Do not exaggerate your speech or raise your voice. Shouting can make your speech more difficult to understand.
  • When an interpreter is assisting with the conversation, do not talk to the interpreter; address yourself to the person with whom you are talking.

People who have a speech impairment

  • Listen attentively and patiently.
  • Wait until the person has finished speaking. Do not try and complete sentences for him or her.
  • If you do not understand something, say so. Repeat what you do understood and allow the person to respond.
  • Ask questions that can be answered with short replies.

People who have a vision impairment

  • Greet the person and identify yourself and anyone who is with you.
  • If you customarily shake hands, ask, "Shall we shake hands?"
  • Always ask permission before trying to help a person move about.
  • If the person accepts your assistance, offer your arm to guide her or him. Do not try to push or pull the person.
  • Tell the person before you move.
  • Allow guide dogs to do their work. Do not pet or distract them