Disability Friendly Service

Businesses can help make new customers feel welcome and keep them coming back by making their premises easy for all to access and by having staff that are knowledgeable about serving a variety of people. This section will provide you with an overview of good practices that can be shared with your staff and implemented quickly.

Note: There are a number of courses that have been developed specifically to train staff on serving clients/customers with disabilities. This information will not and is not intended to replace that training. If you are interested in finding out more about staff training programs please refer to the Online Resources section of this kit.

Providing Customer Service to People with Disabilities

• Treat people with disabilities with respect. Speak directly to the person with a disability. If you are providing service in a restaurant or store, for example don't ask her companion what she would like for dinner or what size she wears.
• Don't provide assistance without first asking whether or not it is needed. If the person accepts your offer, allow him to explain how best to help.
• Don't lean on a person's wheelchair or hover over her. If you are exchanging more than a few words, sit down if possible, so that the person can more comfortably look you in the eye without straining her neck.
• When you greet a person who is blind, identify yourself and anyone with you. Also, be sure to let him know when you are walking away.
• Never grab the arm of a person who is blind and try to lead her. If you want to help, first ask if she would like assistance, and then allow her to take your arm.
• If the person has a hearing disability, use a gentle touch on the arm to get his attention. Look directly at the person as you speak, and don't cover your mouth or eat while doing so. Do not shout. Written notes can facilitate communication.
• If the person has a speech disability, don't try to rush her or finish her sentences. Don't pretend you understand her if you don't really know what she is saying. If you are having trouble understanding a particular word or phrase, ask her to say it in a different way.

Think About Your Word Choice

• When referring to someone with a disability, put the person first. Say person with a disability or man with epilepsy rather than a disabled person, an epileptic man, etc. People with disabilities are people first.
• Avoid dropping the word person altogether - don't say the disabled, an epileptic, etc. A person is not a condition or a disease.
• Don't hesitate to use figures of speech that include words like see, hear, walk, etc. It is appropriate to ask a person who uses a wheelchair if they want to go for a walk. It is also okay to ask a person who is blind if they saw a movie. And you can ask a person who is deaf if they have heard about an upcoming art show.
• Don't say wheelchair bound or confined to a wheelchair. People who use wheelchairs often consider them liberating, not confining. The preferred term is using a wheelchair.
• Don't say crippled, victim, stricken with, or suffers from. All of these have negative connotations. They also make great assumptions. People with disabilities don't always suffer or feel like victims.
• Don't say handicapped unless you are referring to a specific barrier, such as stairs. That is the proper context for using the term.
• Phrases like physically challenged, handicapable, otherly able are vague and weak in meaning. People with disabilities tells it like it is.