(taken from a resource guide written for Disability History and Awareness Month by the Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens (GACEC) of Deleware)
help those around them be more careful. Etiquette, or good manners, helps people know what to do.
This overview is designed to let people know some of the etiquette to follow when meeting people
with disabilities.
*Remember introductions. When meeting a person with a visual impairment, always identify yourself
and others who may be with you. When conversing in a group, identify the person to whom you are
speaking. Indicate the end of a conversation when you leave someone who is blind or has severe
visual impairment.
*When introduced to a person, it is appropriate to offer to shake hands. People with limited hand use
or who wear an artificial limb can usually shake hands. Shaking hands with the left hand is an
acceptable greeting. If the person cannot shake hands, they will let you know.
*Treat adults as adults. Address people who have disabilities by their first names only when extending
that same familiarity to all other present. Never patronize people who use wheelchairs by patting
them on the head or shoulders.
*Speak directly to the person you are addressing rather than to a companion or sign language
interpreter who may be with the person with a disability. When talking with a person with a disability
use a natural conversational tone and speed.
*Listen attentively when you are talking with a person with a disability. If the person has difficulty
speaking, be patient and wait for the person to finish, rather than correcting or speaking for that
person. If necessary, ask short questions that require short answers, a nod, or a shake of the head.
*Never pretend to understand if you are not sure. It is okay to ask them to repeat what they said.
Also, you can repeat what you have understood and allow the person to respond.
*Respect people’s personal space. A wheelchair is considered to be part of the personal body space
of the person who uses it. Leaning or hanging on a person’s wheelchair is similar to leaning or
hanging on a person and is not appropriate.
*When having a conversation with a person who uses a wheelchair, consider pulling up a chair or
moving to an area where you can sit. This places both of you at eye level to facilitate the
conversation.
*To get the attention of a person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing, tap the person on the shoulder or
wave your hand. Look directly at the person when you speak. Be sensitive to those who “read lips”
by placing yourself facing a light source and keep your face visible by keeping hands, papers,
and food away from your mouth.
*If guiding a person with a visual impairment, let them take your arm. Never take their hand and lead
them or push them forward from behind. Describe your surroundings as you walk. Describe what is11
coming up, such as steps or obstacles. Do not leave the person in an open space, guide them to a
chair or the wall or to a group of people and make introductions.
*Guide dogs are working mobility tools. Do not pet them, feed them, or distract them while they are
working.
*If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is accepted. Then, listen to or ask for instructions.
*Do not make assumptions about what a person can or cannot do based on their disability. All people
are different, and have a wide variety of skills and personalities, including persons with disabilities or
special needs.
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