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PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

People with disabilities are not conditions or diseases. They are individual human beings.

For example, a person is NOT an epileptic but rather a person who has epilepsy.

First and foremost they are people. Only secondarily do they have one or more disabling conditions. Hence, they prefer to be referred to in print or broadcast media as People with Disabilities.

In any story, article, announcement or advertisement, "people with disabilities" should be used either exclusively or, at a minimum, as the initial reference. Subsequent references can use the terms "person with a disability" or "individuals with disabilities" for grammatical or narrative reasons. In conclusion, the appropriate and preferred initial reference is "people with disabilities."

Please refer to the Glossary of Disability Terms for a complete listing of acceptable terms and appropriate applications.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN

DISABILITY AND HANDICAP Top of page

A Disability is a condition caused by an accident, trauma, genetics or disease which may limit a person's mobility, hearing, vision, speech or mental function. Some people with disabilities have one or more disabilities.

A Handicap is a physical or attitudinal constraint that is imposed upon a person, regardless of whether that person has a disability. Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines handicap as to put at a disadvantage.

Example: Some people with disabilities use wheelchairs. Stairs, narrow doorways and curbs are handicaps imposed upon people with disabilities who use wheelchairs.

People with disabilities have all manner of disabling conditions:

· mobility impairments

· blindness and vision impairments

· deafness and hearing impairments

· speech and language impairments

· psychological/psychiatric and learning disabilities.

· Physical and health impairments.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

ON CAMPUS Top of page

Reasonable accommodations enhance the opportunity for qualified persons with disabilities who may not otherwise be considered for reasons unrelated to actual educational requirements to be or remain enrolled. The purpose of providing reasonable accommodations is to enable educational institutions to accept or retain qualified students regardless of their disability by eliminating barriers on campus.

Accommodations are tailored for a class, activity, or test that an individual is required to perform. The law requires that each person with a disability must be consulted prior to the planning and be involved in the implementation of an accommodation.

Types of accommodations include:

· Disability Parking

· Extended time for exams

· Notetakers

· Alternative media for textbooks

· Assistive Technology for the Visually Impaired

· Voice-Activated Software

· Screen Reader

· Tape recorders (for emergency use)

· Sign-language interpreters (upon request)

· C-Print Captioning for the Hearing Impaired

· Distraction-free exam space

· Lab and/or Library assistance

· Registration assistance

· Priority registration

Decisions to implement an accommodation should include making a choice that will best meet the needs of the individual by minimizing limitation and enhancing his or her ability to perform required educational tasks, while serving the interests of your majority student population.

RECEPTION ETIQUETTE Top of page

Know where accessible restrooms, drinking fountains and telephones are located. If such facilities are not available, be ready to offer alternatives, such as the private or employee restroom, a glass of water or your desk phone.

Use a normal tone of voice when extending a verbal welcome. Do not raise your voice unless requested.

When introduced to a person with a disability, 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 acceptable.

· For those who cannot shake hands, touch the person on the shoulder or arm to welcome and acknowledge their presence.

Treat adults in a manner befitting adults:

· Call a person by his or her first name only when extending that familiarity to all others present.

· Never patronize people using wheelchairs by patting them on the head or shoulder.

When addressing a person who uses a wheelchair, never lean on the person's wheelchair. The chair is part of the space that belongs to the person who uses it.

When talking with a person with a disability, look at and speak directly to that person rather than through a companion who may be along.

If an interpreter is present, speak to the person who has scheduled the appointment, not to the interpreter. Always maintain eye contact with the applicant, not the interpreter.

Offer assistance in a dignified manner with sensitivity and respect. Be prepared to have the offer declined. Do not proceed to assist if your offer to assist is declined. If the offer is accepted, listen to or accept instructions.

· Allow a person with a visual impairment to take your arm (at or about the elbow.) This will enable you to guide rather than propel or lead the person.

· Offer to hold or carry packages in a welcoming manner.

Example: May I help you with your packages?

SERVICE ANIMALS Top of page

Background
Over 12,000 people with disabilities use the aid of service animals. Although the most familiar types of service animals are guide dogs used by people who are blind, service animals are assisting persons who have other disabilities as well. Many disabling conditions are invisible. Therefore, every person who is accompanied by a service animal may or may not "look" disabled. A service animal is NOT required to have any special certification.

What is a Service Animal?
A service animal is NOT a pet!

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
A service animal is any animal that has been individually trained to provide assistance or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a physical or mental disability which substantially limits one or more major life functions.

Service Animal Access
The civil rights of persons with disabilities to be accompanied by their service animals in all places of public and housing accommodations is protected by the following Federal laws:

· Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA (1990)

· Air Carrier Access Act (1986)

· Fair Housing Amendments Act (1988)

· Rehabilitation Act (1973)

Service Dog Etiquette

· Do not touch the Service Animal, or the person it assists, without permission.

· Do not make noises at the Service Animal, it may distract the animal from doing its job.

· Do not feed the Service Animal, it may disrupt his/her schedule.

· Do not be offended if the person does not feel like discussing his/her disability or the assistance the Service Animal provides. Not everyone wants to be a walking-talking "show and tell" exhibit.

CONVERSATION ETIQUETTE Top of page

When talking to a person with a disability, look at and speak directly to that person, rather than through a companion who may be along.

Relax. Don't be embarrassed if you happen to use accepted common expressions such as See you later or Got to be running along that seem to relate to the person's disability.

To get the attention of a person with a hearing impairment, tap the person on the shoulder or wave your hand. Look directly at the person and speak clearly, naturally and slowly to establish if the person can read lips. Not all persons with hearing impairments can lip-read. Those who can will rely on facial expression and other body language to help in understanding. Show consideration by placing yourself facing the light source and keeping your hands, cigarettes and food away from your mouth when speaking. Keep mustaches well-trimmed. Shouting won't help. Written notes may.

When talking with a person in a wheel chair for more than a few minutes, use a chair, whenever possible, in order to place you at the person's eye level to facilitate conversation.

When greeting a person with a severe loss of vision, always identify yourself and others who may be with you.

EXAMPLE: On my right is Penelope Potts.

When conversing in a group, give a vocal cue by announcing the name of the person to whom you are speaking. Speak in a normal tone of voice, indicate in advance when you will be moving from one place to another and let it be known when the conversation is at an end.

Listen attentively when you're talking to a person who has speech impairment. Keep your manner encouraging rather than correcting. Exercise patience rather than attempting to speak for a person with speech difficulty. When necessary, ask short questions that require short answers or a nod or a shake of the head. Never pretend to understand if you are having difficulty doing so. Repeat what you understand, or incorporate the interviewee's statements into each of the following questions. The person's reactions will clue you in and guide you to understanding.

If you have difficulty communicating, be willing to repeat or rephrase a question. Open-ended questions are more appropriate than closed-ended questions.

EXAMPLE:
Closed-Ended Question: You were a tax accountant in XYZ Company in the corporate planning department for seven years. What did you do there?
Open-Ended Question: Tell me about your recent position as a tax accountant.

Do not shout at a hearing impaired person. Shouting distorts sounds accepted through hearing aids and inhibits lip reading. Do not shout at a person who is blind or visually impaired -- he or she can hear you!

To facilitate conversation, be prepared to offer a visual cue to a hearing impaired person or an audible cue to a vision impaired person, especially when more than one person is speaking.

COURTESIES FOR

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Top of page

Faculty and Staff need to know whether or not the room is accessible and should be prepared to answer accessibility-related questions.

Communicating with a person using Mobility Aids
Communicating with a person with Vision Impairments
Communicating with a person with Speech Impairments
Communicating with a person who is Deaf or Hearing Impaired

COMMUNICATING WITH A PERSON USING

MOBILITY AIDS Top of page

Enable people who use crutches, canes or wheelchairs to keep them within reach.

Be aware that some wheelchair users may choose to transfer themselves out of their wheelchairs (into an office chair, for example).

Here again, when speaking to a person in a wheelchair or on crutches for more than a few minutes, sit in a chair. Place yourself at that person's eye level to facilitate conversation.

COMMUNICATING WITH A PERSON WITH

VISION IMPAIRMENTS Top of page

When greeting a person with vision impairment always identify yourself and introduce anyone else who might be present.

If the person does not extend their hand to shake hands, verbally extend a welcome.

EXAMPLE: Welcome to the Gainesville State College, Disability Services Office.

When offering seating, place the person's hand on the back or arm of the seat. A verbal cue is helpful as well.

Let the person know if you move or need to end the conversation.

Allow people who use crutches, canes or wheelchairs to keep them within reach.

COMMUNICATING WITH A PERSON WITH

SPEECH IMPAIRMENTS Top of page

Give your whole attention with interest when talking to a person who has speech impairment.

Ask short questions that require short answers or a nod of the head.

Do not pretend to understand if you do not. Try rephrasing what you wish to communicate, or ask the person to repeat what you do not understand.

Do not raise your voice. Most speech impaired persons can hear and understand.

COMMUNICATING WITH A PERSON WHO IS

DEAF OR HEARING IMPAIRED Top of page

If you need to attract the attention of a person who is deaf or hearing impaired, touch him or her lightly on the shoulder.

If the hearing impaired person lip-reads, look directly at him or her. Speak clearly at a normal pace. Do not exaggerate your lip movements or shout. Speak expressively because the person will rely on your facial expressions, gestures and eye contact. (Note: It is estimated that only four out of ten spoken words are visible on the lips.)

Place yourself facing the light source and keep your hands, cigarettes and food away from your mouth when speaking.

Shouting does not help and can be detrimental. Only raise your voice when requested. Brief, concise written notes may be helpful.

In the United States most deaf people use American Sign Language (ASL.) ASL is not a universal language. ASL is a language with its own syntax and grammatical structure. When scheduling an interpreter for a non-English speaking person, be certain to retain an interpreter that speaks and interprets in the language of the person.

If an interpreter is present, it is commonplace for the interpreter to be seated beside the interviewer, across from the hearing impaired person.

Interpreters facilitate communication. They should not be consulted or regarded as a reference for the interview.

GLOSSARY OF DISABILITY TERMS Top of page

Acceptable Terms		Unacceptable Terms
Person with a disability.		Cripple, cripples - the image conveyed is of a twisted, deformed, useless body.
Disability, a general term used for functional limitation that interferes with a person's ability, for example, to walk, hear or lift. It may refer to a physical, mental or sensory condition.		Handicap, handicapped person or handicapped.
People with cerebral palsy, people with spinal cord injuries.		Cerebral palsied, spinal cord injured, etc. Never identify people solely by their disability.
Person who had a spinal cord injury, polio, a stroke, etc. or a person who has multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, arthritis, etc.		Victim. People with disabilities do not like to be perceived as victims for the rest of their lives, long after any victimization has occurred.
Has a disability, has a condition of (spina bifida, etc.), or born without legs, etc.		Defective, defect, deformed, vegetable. These words are offensive, dehumanizing, degrading and stigmatizing.
Deafness/hearing impairment. Deafness refers to a person who has a total loss of hearing. Hearing impairment refers to a person who has a partial loss of hearing within a range from slight to severe. Hard of hearing describes a hearing-impaired person who communicates through speaking and speech-reading, and who usually has listening and hearing abilities adequate for ordinary telephone communication. Many hard of hearing individuals use a hearing aid.		Deaf and Dumb is as bad as it sounds. The inability to hear or speak does not indicate intelligence.
Person who has a mental or developmental disability.		Retarded, moron, imbecile, idiot. These are offensive to people who bear the label.
Use a wheelchair or crutches; a wheelchair user; walks with crutches.		Confined/restricted to a wheelchair; wheelchair bound. Most people who use a wheelchair or mobility devices do not regard them as confining. They are viewed as liberating; a means of getting around.
Able-bodied; able to walk, see, hear, etc.; people who are not disabled.		Healthy, when used to contrast with "disabled." Healthy implies that the person with a disability is unhealthy. Many people with disabilities have excellent health.
People who do not have a disability.		Normal. When used as the opposite of disabled, this implies that the person is abnormal. No one wants to be labeled as abnormal.
A person who has (name of disability.) Example: A person who has multiple sclerosis.		Afflicted with, suffers from. Most people with disabilities do not regard themselves as afflicted or suffering continually. Afflicted: a disability is not an affliction.