Communications with People with Disabilities
http://www.fau.edu/divdept/equalop/communication.htm

There are no strict rules when it comes to communicating and relating to people with disabilities. However, here are some helpful hints.

General

• Treat people with disabilities with the same respect and consideration that you do with others.
• Ask a person with a disability if he or she needs help before helping.
• Speak directly to the person with the disability, not through the person's companion.
• Refer to the person's disability only if it is relevant to the conversation.
• Avoid negative descriptions of a person's disability. For example, "a person who uses a wheelchair" is more appropriate than "A person confined to a wheelchair."
• Refer to the person first and then the disability. "A man who is blind" is better than "a blind man" because it emphasizes the person first.
  

Visual Impairments

• Be descriptive for people with visual impairments. Say, "The computer is about three feet to your left," rather than, "The computer is over there."
• When guiding people with visual impairments, offer them your arm rather than grabbing or pushing them.
• Always ask permission before you interact with a person's guide or service dog.
  

Learning Disabilities

• If asked, read instructions to users with a specific learning disability.
  

Mobility Impairments

• Try sitting or crouching to the approximate height of people in wheelchairs when you interact.

Speech Impairments

• Listen carefully and ask people with speech impairments to repeat what they said if you don't understand.
  

Hearing Impairments

• Face people with hearing impairments and speak clearly when you talk to them so they can see your lips.
  
  

10 Commandments of Etiquette for Communicating With People With Disabilities
National Center for Access Unlimited , 155 North Wacker Dr., Suite 315, Chicago, IL 60606.

• When talking with a person with a disability, speak directly to that person rather than through a companion or a sign language interpreter.
• When introduced to a person with a disability, it is appropriate to offer to shake hands. People with limited hand use or who use an artificial limb can usually shake hands. (Shaking hands with the left hand is an acceptable greeting.)
• 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 to the person to whom you are speaking.
• If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is accepted. Then listen to or ask for instructions.
• 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 wheel chairs by patting them on the head or the shoulder.)
• Leaning on or hanging on to a person's wheel chair is similar to leaning or hanging on a person and is generally considered annoying. The chair is part of the personal body space of the person who uses it.
• Listen attentively when you are talking with a person who has 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.
• When speaking to a person who uses a wheel chair, place yourself at eye level in front of the person to facilitate the conversation.
• 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. For those who do 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.
• Relax. Do not be embarrassed if you happen to use accepted, common expressions such as "See you later," or "Did you hear about that?" that seem to relate to the person's disability. Do not be afraid to ask questions when you are unsure of what to do.