It may be easier to understand how to interact with people who have disabilities if you imagine having a disability yourself.  Think about how you would want people to talk to or treat you.  It’s likely that you wanted to be treated just as you are now.  Therefore, you should talk to people with disabilities as you would anyone else. Welcome a new coworker with a disability as you would anyone else new to your workplace. Never stare at someone with a disability or act condescending or patronizing. Don't focus on the disability. It is not important that you figure out the nature of someone’s disability.  It is only important that you treat them equally, talk to them as you would to anyone else, and act as you would normally act if a new person entered into your life. Some people are hesitant to offer to help someone with a disability for fear of offending them.  Indeed, if you are offering help because of an assumption that someone cannot do something themselves, your offer could be offensive.  However, very few people would be offended by a genuine, specific offer of assistance.  Many people with disabilities are hesitant to ask for help, but may be grateful for an offer. For example, if you go shopping with a friend who uses a wheelchair, you could ask if they need assistance carrying their bags or attaching them to their wheelchair.  Offering to help a friend is not usually offensive. If you are not sure of a specific way to help, you can ask, “Is there anything that I can do to help you right now?” Never “help” someone without asking first; for example, do not grab someone’s wheelchair and try to push them up a steep ramp.  Instead, ask if they need a push or if you can do anything else to make it easier for them to navigate the terrain. Service animals may be cute and well trained, making them perfect candidates for cuddling and play time. However, they are used for helping the person with the disability, and are necessary for performing common tasks. If you take time to play with the animal without asking permission, you may be distracting the animal from an important task it needs to perform for its owner. If you see a service animal in action, you should not distract it by petting it. If the animal is not doing any tasks, you can ask the owner permission to pet it or play with it. Keep in mind though that you may be turned down, in which case you should not be upset or disappointed.  Don’t give a service animal food or treats of any kind without permission. Don’t try to distract a service animal by calling it pet names, even if you don’t actually pet or touch it. A wheelchair might seem like a good place to rest your arm, but doing so can be uncomfortable or annoying to the person sitting in it. Unless you’re asked to help someone by pushing or moving their wheelchair, you should never touch or play with it. The same advice goes for walkers, scooters, crutches, or any other device someone might be using for everyday functioning. If you ever feel the need to move someone’s wheelchair, you should ask permission first, and wait for their response. Do not ask to play with someone's wheelchair, as it is a childish question and it may make the person feel uncomfortable.   Treat disability equipment like extensions of their body: you wouldn't grab and move someone's hand or decide to lean up against their shoulder. Behave the same way towards their equipment. Any tool or device a person might use to help with their disability, such as a hand-held translator or an oxygen tank, should never be touched unless you are directed to do so. Some disabilities are present from birth, and others come later in life due to development, accident, or illness.  However the disability developed, most people learn how to adapt and take care of themselves independently. Most are independent in everyday living, requiring little help from others. As a result, it can be offensive or annoying to assume that someone with a disability cannot do many things, or to constantly try to do things for them. If you help a lot of the time and in a childish voice, this may be annoying. Work under the assumption that the person can accomplish whatever task is at hand by themselves.  A person who gets a disability as a result of an accident later in life may require more help than someone with a lifelong disability, but you should always wait until they ask for your help before assuming they need it. Don’t avoid asking someone with a disability to do a certain task because you worry they can’t accomplish it. If you do offer help, make the offer genuine and specific.  If you are offering from a place of genuine kindness, and not an assumption that the person cannot do something, you’re less likely to offend. Try to be courteous around people with physical disabilities by staying out of the way. Move to the side if you see someone attempting to navigate in a wheelchair. Move your feet out of the path of someone who is using a cane or a walker. If you notice that someone does not seem to be strong and steady on their feet, offer help verbally. Don't invade someone’s personal space, just as you would not invade anyone else's.  However, if someone asks you for assistance, be prepared to give it. Do not touch anyone’s equipment or animal without asking. Remember that a wheelchair or other aid is personal space; it's part of the person. Please respect that.
ضع نفسك مكان الشخص المصاب بالإعاقة. اعرض تقديم المساعدة الصادقة. لا تشغل "كلاب المساعدة" باللعب. تجنب اللعب والعبث بالكرسي المتحرك أو أجهزة المشي. العديد من الأفراد من ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة تكيفوا على الإعاقة التي يعانون منها. تجنب اعتراض الطريق.