Accommodation Tips: Ideas to use with any person with a disability

Table of Contents

Creating Accessible Meetings

If you are responsible for making arrangements for meetings which may have people with disabilities in attendance, you may wish to consider the following points:

  1. The location is completely physically accessible with accessible restrooms, water fountains, and telephone with TDD nearby.
  2. A statement was included on the registration flyer stating: "If you have any special accommodation needs, please contact [department's name and contact person] by [time deadline, usually three weeks before the event]."
  3. A sign language interpreter has been arranged through OSD.
  4. Printed materials will be available to assist participants who have difficulty taking their own notes or to support those with auditory processing problems. The notes and diagrams will be clearly typed and have adequate "white space."
  5. Arrangements have been made to record the presentation for participants who have print disabilities.
  6. Someone organizing the event has agreed to meet the participant with a visual impairment and orient him to the area.
  7. If the room lighting must be reduced, there will be enough for participants to see the interpreter's signs and lip movements.
  8. Tables and chairs in the area will be arranged so that people using wheelchairs can move around easily.
  9. Accessible parking places will be near the meeting area.
  10. Overheads are white or yellow type on black or very dark blue backgrounds.

General Tips

  1. Know where accessible restrooms, drinking fountains, parking spaces, telephones, and TDD's are located.
  2. Don't make people discuss their special needs in front of other people. If others are near, invite the person to move to a more private area. If this is not possible, try lowering your voice and turning your back to the other people to give the feeling of respecting the person's privacy.
  3. How do I ask what support services a person needs? If her disability is visible, you can politely ask what types of accommodations she might need. But what if you are speaking with someone over the phone or the person's disability is not visible? You may wish to make it a practice of asking all callers if they have any special needs you should be aware of to make their visit to PCC better.
  4. Most people with disabilities try to be as independent as they can and will ask for assistance if they need it. Go ahead and offer assistance but don't insist.
  5. If your offer of assistance is accepted, don't be embarrassed to admit that you don't know how to help and ask for instructions.
  6. Feel free to use words like "walking" or "standing" in conversations with people using wheelchairs, or phrases such as "see you later" when chatting with people who have visual impairments.
  7. Service dogs assist individuals with visual, mobility, or hearing impairments. They are working animals responsible for their owners' safety. Never pet the animal or otherwise distract it when the harness is on.
  8. Be sure that the physical layout of an area is accessible. Don't block walkways or doorways with items such as coat racks, ash bins, or garbage cans.

Labels

To set a positive tone, always use appropriate terms when describing individuals with special needs. First and foremost they are people; secondarily, they have one or more disabling conditions. Hence, they should be referred to as "students with disabilities." Also, avoid terms such as "handicapped" and "victim."

Meeting and Greeting

  1. Treat everyone as adults.
  2. Always use a normal tone of voice when extending a verbal welcome. Don't raise your voice unless requested.
  3. When introduced to a person with limited hand use or who wears an artificial limb, you may wish to shake the left hand or touch the person on the shoulder or arm.
  4. When introduced to a person with a visual impairment, let her extend her hand for you to take.
  5. Always speak directly to the person with a disability, not to an interpreter or any other person accompanying him. Never turn to the person with him and ask, "What does he want?"