COMMUNICATION WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 

General tips for communicating with people with a disability 

• Speak to a person with a disability as you would speak to anyone else. Speak in an age-appropriate tone and treat adults as adults. 
• If a person with a disability is accompanied by another person, such as a carer, you should still speak directly to the person with disability. 
• Put the person first, not their disability. For example, use the term ‘a person with disability’ rather than ‘a disabled person’. This is always an individual choice. 

• Try to avoid negative phrases such as ‘suffers from’ and ‘crippled’. Use the phrase ‘people who use a wheelchair’ rather than ‘wheelchair bound’. 

   

Communicating with people with physical disabilities 

• Remember that someone’s personal space can include their wheelchair and crutches. Don’t touch or push a person’s wheelchair, and don’t move their crutches or walking stick without their permission. 

• When speaking with a person who uses a wheelchair, try to find something to sit on to be at eye level with them. 

   

Communicating with people with a vision impairment 

• When you meet people who have a vision impairment, always address them by name and introduce yourself. 
• Speak clearly and in a normal voice – there is no need to raise your voice. 
• Remember that people with vision impairment can’t rely on the same visual cues as people without a vision impairment. Make sure you verbalise any thoughts or feelings. 
• If a person is accompanied by a guide dog, don’t pat it, feed it or distract it while it’s in a harness. A dog in a harness is working to support its owner. 

• When you enter or leave a room, say something to make sure that the person who has a vision impairment won’t be embarrassed by speaking to an empty space.

   

Communicating with people with a hearing impairment 

• Gain the person’s attention before speaking. Try a gentle tap on the shoulder, a wave or some other visual signal to get the person’s attention. 
• Face the person directly and maintain eye contact. 
• Make sure your mouth is visible – don’t cover it with your hand or any other object as you talk. 
• Look directly at the person while speaking and don’t speak too fast or too slow. 
• Don’t exaggerate your mouth movements – this will only make it more difficult to lip-read. 
• Use short sentences. 

• Keep your volume at a natural level – don’t shout. 

   

Communicating with people with an intellectual disability 

• Make sure you have the person’s attention before you start talking. Try using their name or making eye contact. 
• Keep your questions simple and your answers easy to understand. 
• Remember that your body language is important because people with an intellectual disability often rely on visual cues. 
• Be prepared to use visual information or to get visual information from people with an intellectual disability. 

• Be specific and direct. Avoid talking using abstracts, acronyms, metaphors or puns. 

   

Communicating with people with a mental illness 

Mental illness is a health issue that can significantly affect how a person feels, thinks, behaves and interacts with other people.  Mental illness is a general term that refers to a group of illnesses including, but not limited to: 

• mood disorders (such as depression and bipolar disorder) 
• anxiety disorders 
• psychotic disorders (such as schizophrenia and some forms of bipolar disorder). 

One of the common mistakes people make when talking to someone with a mental illness is that they talk too much. When we are talking, we are not listening.  The best thing to do is to say less and listen more. 

• Be respectful to the person. When someone feels respected and heard, they are more likely to return respect and consider what you have to say. 
• Some people with paranoia may be frightened, so be aware that they may need more body space than you. 
• Instead of directing the conversation at them with ‘you’ statements, use ‘I’ statements instead. 
• Ease into the conversation gradually. It may be that the person is not in a place to talk, and that is OK. 
• Be sure to speak in a relaxed and calm manner. 
• Talk to them in a space that is comfortable, where you won’t likely be interrupted and where there are likely minimal distractions. 
• Do not lie to them, as it will usually break any rapport you might want to establish. 
• Be aware of a person becoming upset or confused by your conversation with them. 
• Listen to the person and try to understand what they are communicating. 
• Communicate in a straightforward manner and stick to one topic at a time. 
• Be a good listener, be responsive and make eye contact with a caring approach. 
• Give them the opportunity to talk and open up but don’t press. 
• Reduce any defensiveness by sharing your feelings and looking for common ground. 
• If needed, set limits with the person as you would others. For example, “I only have five minutes to talk to you” or “If you scream, I will not be able to talk to you.” 

Things to Avoid Doing: 

• Criticizing, blaming or raising your voice at them. 
• Talking too much, too rapidly, too loudly. Silence and pauses are OK. 
• Showing any form of hostility towards them. 
• Avoid excessive whispering, joking and laughing as these behaviours could be viewed as dangerous to someone with paranoia. 
• Assuming things about them or their situation. 
• Being sarcastic or making jokes about their condition. 
• Patronising them or saying anything condescending. 

Sally Op't Hoog

Teaching and Learning Leader - Learning Diversity