Whenever you interact with someone with a disability, you should prove a degree of friendship. A person with a disability should be treated carefully when interacting with them. It is essential to treat people with disabilities with kindness and care. When interacting with someone with a physical or mental disability, it is common to feel uneasy, but this does not mean you should treat them differently. Although you may be concerned about hurting their views by saying something offensive when socializing with people with disabilities, this should not be the case.

Some ways to interact with disabled

Avoid “you are so inspiring.”

In general, people with disabilities dislike the term “inspiring,” especially when they carry out a basic task, such as buying milk. There are many examples in which this occurs. It may be difficult for some people to resist sharing their thoughts with us as they are inspired by how we live our lives. However, please try to refrain from doing so. Like everyone else, we are trying to live our lives to the fullest. The bad effect of your comment is that it will remind them that people still perceive them as different.

Avoid using violent terms at all costs.

In a casual chat with people with disabilities, Disability support services Perth suggest offensive terms or labels should not be used. Disability identification and labeling are unkind, rude, and hurtful to the individual. Being extra cautious about what you say and do around them is always a good idea. You should never refer to them by their disability or name.

Only assist with first asking.

Although resisting may be difficult, automatic help should only be provided if someone with a disability asks. Asking for assistance is a natural part of life. They will speak when they are ready. No matter how shy they seem, only grab their jacket and assist them in putting it on after first asking. Assist when they are boarding an accessible van. Could you imagine how you would feel if someone barrelled into your personal space like that? It’s not a good idea. 

Make a polite offer of help.

If you want to help people with disabilities, be polite and offer your help. Whenever you think someone needs help, always ask them politely. You should avoid over-insisting, as this can make them feel even more affected by their disability. It is vital to be gentle with them and to respect their decision. It is common for people with disabilities to prefer to be free, so do not be dejected from offering your aid in the future if they decline your offer.

So, these are some of the ways to interact with people with disabilities.