this brought back a memory of a friend i had in
college. he was born without eyes. i once told him
"there is a step down up here." he said "i know, i can
hear it." he was a most amazing person. dry sense of
humor. 

--- Kendall David Corbett <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> With what Kathy Jo said about people referring to
> her attendants as
> "babysitters," I thought this might be helpful for
> those folks to read,
> and we probably all know of people who could benefit
> from reading it.
> My hope is that it could be used as a way to get
> people talking about
> disability etiquette.  Thanks to the WIND Training
> division (Terri,
> Lori, Paula, Sheri, and Janet) for this material. 
> 
>  
> 
> Basics of Disability Etiquette 
> 
> ASK BEFORE YOU HELP 
> Don't assume a person with a disability needs help. 
> If you offer
> assistance wait until the offer is accepted, then
> listen to or ask for
> instructions on how best to assist. 
> 
> THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK 
> Always speak directly to the person with a
> disability, not to his
> companion, aide or sign language interpreter. 
> 
> DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS 
> Let the person decide if and how the person will
> participate in an
> activity.  
> 
> EXTEND SAME COURTESY 
> 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.
> 
> TREAT ADULTS AS ADULTS 
> Address people who have disabilities by their first
> names only when
> extending that same familiarity to all others
> present.
> 
> RELAX
> Don't be embarrassed if you happen to use accepted,
> common expressions,
> such as, "See you later," or "Did you hear about
> this" that seem to
> relate to the person's disability.
> 
> Pointers for Specific Disabilities
>  
> INTERACTIONS WITH A PERSON WHO IS BLIND OR VISUALLY
> IMPAIRED
> *        Identify yourself and anyone else who may
> be accompanying you.
> Inform the person when other people join or leave
> the group.
> *        Inform the person of potential obstacles
> and give specific
> directions to avoid these obstacles - "look out" is
> not very helpful
> here.
>  
> INTERACTIONS WITH A PERSON WHO USES A WHEELCHAIR
> *        Sit eye level to the person or stand at a
> slight distance to
> facilitate conversation.
> *        Avoid leaning or hanging on the persons
> wheelchair, scooter or
> cane. People with disabilities consider their
> equipment part of their
> personal space.
> *        Avoid patting the person on the head and
> other patronizing
> behaviors that are usually only extended to
> children.
>  
> INTERACTIONS WITH A PERSON WHO IS DEAF
> *        To gain the attention of a person with a
> hearing impairment,
> tap them on the shoulder or wave your hand.
> *        When talking, face the person and speak
> clearly and
> expressively. Avoid chewing gum, smoking or
> obscuring your mouth with
> your hands and other objects while speaking.  Many
> people who are hard
> of hearing count on watching people's lips to help
> them understand.
>  
> INTERACTIONS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPEECH
> DISABILITIES
> *        Give the person your full attention. Don't
> interrupt or finish
> the person's sentences. If you have trouble
> understanding, don't nod.
> Just ask the person to repeat what they said. In
> most cases the person
> will not mind and will appreciate your effort to
> hear what they had to
> say.
> *        If you are not sure whether you have
> understood, you can repeat
> for verification
>  
> INTERACTIONS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE COGNITIVE
> DISABILITIES
> *        Speak to the person in clear sentences,
> using simple words and
> concrete-rather than abstract-concepts. Help her
> understand a complex
> idea by breaking it down into smaller parts.
> *        Gauge the pace, complexity, and vocabulary
> of your speech
> according to theirs.
> *        Give information to people with learning
> disabilities in their
> preferred format (written vs. verbal)
>  
> Person First Language
> 
>  
> 
> Acceptable Terms
> 
> 
> Unacceptable Terms
> 
> Person with a disability - puts the person first
> 
> Disabled person - puts the disability before the
> person
> 
> Disability - a general term used for functional
> limitation that
> interferes with a person's ability
> 
> Handicapped - this is a term to describe
> environmental barriers to a
> person with a disability (stairs, narrow doorways,
> inaccessible parking
> spaces - not a term used to describe a person
> 
> Person who has a mental, intellectual, or cognitive
> disability or
> impairment.  
> 
> (There is no universal agreement on the proper
> terminology of this
> disability)
> 
> Retarded, moron, imbecile, idiot - these are
> offensive.  The term mental
> retardation is only acceptably used as a medical
> diagnostic category and
> even controversial in this context.
> 
> A person who uses a wheelchair or crutches; walks
> with crutches
> 
> Confined/restricted to a wheelchair, wheelchair
> bound - Most people who
> use a wheelchair or other mobility device do not
> regard them as
> confining. They are viewed as liberating; a means of
> getting around
> 
> A person who has (name of disability.)
> 
> (Ex. Bill has multiple sclerosis)
> 
> Afflicted with, suffers from, victim of - most
> people with disabilities
> do not regard themselves as victims or as afflicted
> or suffering
> continually
> 
> A Person with epilepsy
> 
> Epileptic  (try to avoid -ic words)
> 
> Accessible Parking
> 
> Handicapped Parking
> 
>  
> 
> If you are unsure it is best to ask!  Also, people
> with disabilities
> have different preferences for how to refer to their
> own disability.  Be
> sensitive to their requests if they differ from the
> terminology you use.
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
=== message truncated ===


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