Disability Etiquette in the Work Place

The U.S. is graying. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that the number of employees over the age of 55 is growing nearly four times faster than any part of the total work force. This is a strong indication that as the American workforce ages more businesses will have employees working with some form of disability. Developing a disability of some type is expected as we all age. Arthritis, joint problems, hearing loss, decreases in cognitive skills creating learning disabilities and other ailments take or limit our business mobility. The American with Disabilities Act has made the workplace more accessible but the disabled still face discourtesies that other groups would find offensive.

Understanding disability etiquette is a way to be empathetic and to make the workplace productive for everyone. When making business presentations or holding meetings consider your audience. Provide a copy of the presentation or the meeting's agenda to everyone prior to the meeting. Use large fonts sizes and use meeting places accessible to all participants.

Employees in wheel chairs often have problems in the work place because of mobility but communication is also a challenge. To understand how a person in a wheel chair feels when everyone is standing try sitting down at an event or get together. No one enjoys talking to someone's belt buckle. Try to set meetings in areas where everyone can sit down. When visiting a person in a wheelchair at their office or cubicle sit down to talk. Never lean or hang onto a person's wheelchair. Treat a wheelchair as part of someone's personal body space.

A conducted by Gallaudet University Research Study estimates that 2 to 4 people out of every 1000 in the U.S. are considered functionally deaf. As we age our hearing decreases. When speaking to a person with a hearing disability try to speak facing them and make eye contact. Many people who are deaf read lips. So try to only talk when your mouth is free of food. If they have a sign-language interpreter with them speak directly to the deaf person and not their interpreter.

An etiquette issues with many veterans who have lost a left hand or arm is the question of whether to shake hands or not. The answer is yes. Extend you hand for a hand shake if that is how you address others in the room. For the visually impaired remember to include names prior to addressing a person.
For example, "Bob, tell us about your project time line" Bob would respond, "Well, Ann, the project has monthly goals."

Group conversations can be confusing to a visually impaired person who does not know everyone in the room. Let them know who is speaking and offer verbal copies of all documents for their review. Most software products now feature settings for virtually every disability.

Some people have difficulty speaking as result of stroke or head injury. Never finish someone's sentence or pretend to understand something when you don't. Feel free to ask for clarification in a polite manor as you would for someone who speaks softly. Offer assistance but wait until the offer is accepted.

Always use the same body language and behaviors as you do with other colleagues. Never single someone out because of their disability. According to the U.S. Department of Labor 95 percent of us will develop some type of disability as a part of aging. Treat your disabled business colleges the way you would wish to be treated professionally.

Resources and References:

U.S. Department of Labor; Labor force projections to 2012: the graying of the U.S. workforce, Mitra Toossi, 2004

Gallaudet University Research: Demographics of the Deaf in the U.S. 2010

Disability.gov: Employment

U.S. Department of Justice: Setting Up Accessible Meetings