Accessible assistance to people with disabilities and the elderly
Patience, Assistance and Sensitivity
Basic principles for providing accessible service
- Individuals with disabilities expect their needs to be taken into consideration.
- In most cases, disability is not visible.
- Individuals with disabilities often arrive with an escort person. Always talk to the person with the disability and not to the escort.
- Mobility aids (such as a wheelchair, a walker, crutches, a guide stick, a guide dog) are part of the personal space of the individual with a disability. Do not touch, lean, or move them without their permission.
- Individuals with disabilities (not only the blind) are allowed to enter any public place with a guide dog at any time.
- The best way to help is by asking the person with a disability what kind of help he/she needs and letting them explain.
- Make sure to be polite, sensitive, and patient.
Principles for providing accessible assistance to people with hearing disability
Signs to identify a person with hearing disability: A person with hearing disability frequently asks you to repeat what you say, requests to speak louder, doesn’t understand what you say, looks at your lips while talking; the elderly population usually suffers from hearing loss.
Signs to identify deaf person: Language difficulties, unclear speaking, uses sign language, doesn’t react when you speak to him.
Guidelines for accessible assistance:
- Face the person while speaking to him/her. Do not hide your mouth while talking to enable lip reading.
- Speak slowly and clearly and don’t exaggerate your mimics.
- Do not shout. Shouting is unclear and it causes pain in the ears for a person with hearing aids.
- When you want to attract the person’s attention, pat his/her shoulder gently.
- You can write on a piece of paper or on your mobile phone
- If it is difficult to understand the speech let the gest know. Do not pretend that you understood. Ask him/her to repeat what he/she said.
Principles for providing accessible assistance to people with visual disabilities
Signs to identify: Uses a white cane or a guide dog, uses his/her hand to touch and identify objects, asks for help to identify objects (a document, money and more), walks very slowly and carefully.
Guidelines for accessible assistance:
- Entering any public place with a guide dog is always allowed. Avoid petting the guide dog.
- Keep the passages free of any obstacles.
- Ask the person how to escort him if needed. Usually the person holds your elbow/puts his hand on your shoulder and you lead.
- describe the route (“There are two steps in front of you”; “Now we take a right turn”.), the surroundings and non-verbal situations or noises.
- Avoid touching the white cane or the person’s personal objects, ask for permission if it’s necessary.
- read written information and describe pictures or signs.
- Help filling out forms.
Basic principles for providing accessible assistance to people with physical disabilities
Signs to identify: the person is using a wheelchair\electric scooter\walker\crutches. The person is walking with a limp, walking slowly, has limited hands functions.
the elderly population usually experience physical disabilities.
Guidelines for accessible assistance:
- Make sure to have access to your office/desk for people with mobility impairment.
- Offer help to your gest with mobility impairment. Ask what kind of help he/she prefers. Don’t assume you know how to help.
- Keep the passages free of objects and the waiting rooms wide and spacious.
- Offer to help to pay or show documents if the client uses a walker or crutches.
- If the gest has a wheelchair, make sure you move chairs so that he/she has enough space for the wheelchair.
- If the gest has a walking related disability, offer a chair with handles.
Principles for providing accessible assistance to people with communication/cognitive or mental difficulties
Signs to identify a person with a cognitive disability (e.g. intellectual disability) autism or mental disability:
- The person could show hesitation, confusion, stress and anxiety or be very emotional with difficulty to control his/her actions or reactions.
- The person has difficulties understanding situations and needs mediation
- The person experience difficulties to communicate or explain themselves.
- slow processing time.
- Could be repetitive (asking the same question, repeating a sentence or a gesture)
Guidelines for accessible assistance:
- Listen patiently, as it may take more time for the person to express oneself.
- Focus on what theperson says and not on how one says it.
- Use short sentences with simple familiar and frequent words. Give examples for what you mean.
- Don’t be shy to ask people with different communication abilities to repeat what they said if you didn’t understand.
- To prevent misunderstandings, make sure you understood him/her properly.
- Avoid assumptions, don’t complete the person’s sentences, and don’t rush him/her.
- Let the person choose and decide for himself.
- Be patient and sensitive.
Contact us:
Email: pvm@aisrael.org
Cellphone number: +972-543445596
Website: www.purple-vest.com