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Disability Awareness 101

Serve Alabama

AmeriCorps State Programs

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Why are we here today ?

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National Service

National Service” is community volunteerism that is encouraged and

supported by the federal government.

Service member address human needs in education, health, public safety, and

the environment.

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National Service Inclusion

• “Inclusion” refers to the active engagement of people with disabilities as service members and volunteers in all levels of national and community service.

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Why Inclusion?

• Inclusion means taking proactive steps to ensure that you create a welcoming and positive environment for persons with disabilities. Program must be open and creative and will to do what it takes to ensure that people with disabilities are full and active participants in service.

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Objectives•Definition of Disability•To develop an awareness of the history of the Independent Living Movement•To develop an understanding of the ADA•To develop an understanding of person-first language and proper etiquette

IMPORTANT DATA2010 CENSUS REPORT

56.7 million people with disabilities

2.2 million since 2005 increase

8.7 percent of the population with some impairments which is 1 in 5 Americans

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Definition of Handicap

• Have you ever wondered where the word “handicap” came from?

• The dictionary has one definition from an old Gaelic term which referred to a person with a disability as one who had to stand on the street corner begging with his “cap in hand.” (Get it? Cap in hand...handicap???) Is this a term that should be applied to anyone with a disability?

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History of the Disability Movement: Prior to 1800

• Individuals with disabilities were isolated in their homes, no services were provided, treated inhumanely

• They were looked upon as objects of scorn, deviant, defective, non-existent, abnormal

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History of the Disability Movement:Late 1800’s

• Individuals with disabilities attended residential schools, institutionalized training programs.

• The goal of these institutions was to make the individual with a disability “normal.”

• Individuals were looked upon as sick, and often incurable, long term care and protection were the goals, the philosophy of the care was the medical model.

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History of the Disability Movement:Early 1900’s

• Individuals with disabilities were housed in Institutions/asylums with subhuman conditions.

• These settings proved to be an inexpensive way to deal with individuals with disabilities.

• The institutions ensured that interaction between citizens in surrounding communities and “residents” with disabilities did not occur.

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History of the Disability Movement:

1940

• Research/use of medication becomes more prominent

• Disability was still viewed as a defect, and should be “cured”

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History of the Disability Movement:

1970’s• Independent Living Centers were

formed to advocate for and provide other services to individuals with disabilities

• Services focused on assisting individuals with disabilities to become contributing, active and functional members of society

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History of the Disability Movement:

1990’s• Americans with Disabilities Act is passed, aims to

end all form of discrimination toward individuals with disabilities

• Guarantees individuals with disabilities access to employment, housing, education, transportation, and all other rights given to able bodied citizens

• Individuals with disabilities now are viewed as protected citizens

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The History of the Disability MovementLiving with a Disability: Today

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are needed to see this picture.

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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

“No otherwise qualified disabled individual in the United States… shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

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Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, State and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. It also applies to the United States Congress.

• To be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability or have a relationship or association with an individual with a disability.

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Section 504 & ADA Intent

• Ensure non-discrimination against people with disability

• Ensure equal access and opportunity

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“Disability” as Defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act &

the Americans with Disabilities Act

• A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities

• A record of such an impairment

• Being regarded as having such an impairment, even when no limitations exist

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Major life activities include, but are not limited to: caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, sitting, standing, lifting, reaching, sleeping and mental/emotional processes such as thinking, concentrating and interacting with others.

“Major Life Activity” anything an average person can do with little or no difficulty…

US EEOC

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Examples of Impairments

AIDS,

alcoholism,

blindness or visual impairment,

cancer,

deafness or hearing impairment,

diabetes,

drug addiction,

heart disease,

and mental illness.

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What is proper etiquette and language for addressing and working with people with disabilities?

Why is it important?

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Welcoming Service Program

• Individuals with disabilities are full participants in program and service activities

• Individuals with disabilities are expected to be treated as peers

• Expectations for individuals with disabilities are the same as for others

• Reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals and to conduct all activities in fully accessible settings.”

• Questions and solutions naturally arise about accessibility when planning activities

• Products and interior decorations portray images of people with disabilities

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Language Guidelines

• “DISABILITY” - Yes!

• “HANDICAP” - No!

• “IMPAIRMENT” - No!

• “DISABLED” - No!

• USE “PERSON FIRST” LANGUAGE– e.g., “person with a disability” not “the

disabled”

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Person First Language and Basic Etiquette

•The Golden Rule:

•If you are ever unsure of: acceptable language, acceptable etiquette, or anything else:

It is OK to Ask

•To be unaware and courteous is understandable, and often invited

•To make assumptions is often unacceptable

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Basic Disability Etiquette

• Offering assistance– Okay to offer– Ask first– Clarify assistance desired– Preferences are different– Accept no

• Always direct communication to the person with a disability

• Unsure what to do? Ask!

• Make a mistake? Apologize, correct, learn and move on

• Treat adults as adults

• Relax!

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Ten Commandments of Etiquette for Communicating with People with Disabilities

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1. When talking with a person with a disability, speak directly to that person rather that through a companion or sign language interpreter.

2. 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 an acceptable greeting.)

3. When meeting a person who is visually impaired, always identify yourself and others who may be with you. When conversing in a group, remember to identify the person to who you are speaking.

4. If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is accepted. Then listen or ask for instructions.

5. Treat adults as adults. Address people who have disabilities by their first names only when extending the same familiarity to all others. (Never patronize people who use wheelchairs by patting then on the head or shoulder.)

6. Leaning on or hanging on to a person’s wheelchair is similar to leaning on hanging on to a person and is generally considered annoying. The chair is part of the personal body space of the person who uses it.

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7. Listen attentively when you’re talking with a person who has a difficulty speaking. Be. Patient and wait for the person to finish, rather than correcting or speaking for the person. If necessary, ask short questions that require short answers, a nod or shake of the head. Never pretend to understand if you are having difficulty doing so. Instead, repeat what you have understood and allow the person to respond. The response will clue you in and guide your understanding.

8. When speaking with a person who uses a wheelchair or a person who uses crutches, place yourself at eye level in front of the person to facilitate the conversation.

9. To get the attention of a person who is deaf, tap the person on the shoulder or wave your hand. Look directly at the person and speak clearly, slowly and expressively to determine if the person can read your lips. Not all people who are deaf can read lips. For those who do lip-read, be sensitive to their needs by placing yourself so that you face the light source and keep hands, cigarettes and food away from your mouth when speaking.

10. Relax. Don’t be embarrassed if you happen to use accepted, common expressions such as “See you later,” or did you hear about that?” that seems to relate to a person’s disability. Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you’re unsure of what to do.

 

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• When meeting a person with a disability always direct communication to the person with a disability

• It is okay to offer assistance, don’t forget to ask first, don’t assume your help is needed

• Ask for clarification if you don’t understand what type of assistance is needed

• If you make a mistake? Apologize, correct the problem, learn and move on

• Treat individuals as adults

• Relax!

Basic Rules to Remember Etiquette for Communicating with People with Disabilities

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Don’t lean on or touch a person's wheelchair, cane or crutches. These products are part of the space that belongs to the person who uses it. Use a chair, whenever possible, in order to place yourself at the person's eye level to facilitate conversation.

People with limited hand use or who wear a prosthetic limb can usually shake hands. Shaking hands with the left hand is acceptable.

To get the attention of a person with a hearing disability, 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. Face a good light source and keep your hands away from your mouth when speaking.

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

When greeting a person with a severe loss of vision, always identify yourself and others who may be with you. When conversing in a group, give a vocal cue by announcing your name and the name of the person to whom you are speaking.

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Service Animal is any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government.

Do not touch or pet the Service Animal, without permission.

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

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

The person may not feel like discussing the assistance the Service Animal provides.

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Things to Remember about Disclosure

•It’s up to the individual to disclose a disability

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Questions!

Thank you!