Tips for Interacting with Students and Visitors

If you see someone struggling to read or write, offer to be a scribe and/or reader for them:

Most of the time, it's easy to tell if a person needs help writing/typing because they have a cast on their  arm or they are blind. However, keep in mind that there are people who also need help writing or reading due to other reasons (e.g. they forgot to bring their reading glasses or they have arthritis, etc.). And until they disclose this information to you, you'd never know. So always pay attention to facial expressions and body language for signs that someone requires your extra assistance. 

Vision Impaired

• Offer to be a scribe
• Offer to read information out loud
• Do not touch students who are bind if they are bumping into things; instead give verbal direction
• Do not keep anything that can fall on them or they can bump into in the office
• Colorblindness:
  • Keep in mind the colors used on any forms and digital formats. Remember, many people who are colorblind cannot distinguish between red and green.

  • It is recommended to use patterns to code maps, instead of color coding maps.

Hearing Impaired

• Speak slowly and clearly
• Let them see your lips moving when speaking
• Do not speak in a tone that is too low. If you are not sure if you are speaking loud enough to be heard, ask politely if you should speak louder.

• For students and visitors who cannot hear at all, offer to write/type your words. This can be done on a small white board or piece of paper. However, an electronic device, such as Microsoft word on a tablet or computer is the best, because it's faster to type messages. It also allows the person who is hard of hearing to also type their responses/messages to you on the same document.

Invisible Disabilities

Be aware that what we say or how we treat people can affect them negatively. Some comments can be triggers for people with mental illnesses or those who have been victims of traumatic events.

Also, when offices and buildings are not accessible or do not offer spaces that have supports in the environment (such as a sitting area or a hand rail), it can cause suffering, especially those who have chronic fatigue or have bad knees.

If it is obvious that someone waiting in line is struggling to stand, offer them a seat and have the person behind them hold their space in line for them.

Here are a few examples of invisible disabilities:

• Chronic fatigue
• Prosthetic leg
• Vertigo/dizziness
• Chronic pain
• Cancer
• Epilepsy
• Migraines
• Anxiety
• Pregnancy
• Mental illnesses (e.g. PTSD, bipolar disorder, etc)