Communicating Obstacles

I am frequently asked, how do I communicate with a person with a disability? Sometimes they are very difficult to understand.

First and foremost, treat the person like they are your family. They are a person FIRST. Their disability is always second. If you've ever found yourself in an awkward situation, trying to communicate, you may find the following helpful:

Always give the person the benefit of the doubt that they CAN communicate. Never assume by the way that they look or judge their ability by their appearance. When communicating with someone who is slow to speak, be patient. Wait for them to completely finish their sentence. They feel valued when you listen attentively, and do not interrupt. If you have a difficult time undersanding them, repeat the parts of the sentence that you did undersand, and ask them to repeat what you didn't get. NEVER pretend to understand.

In asking one of the persons we serve about this, he went on to explain that one of the funnest times he had with our volunteer was when this volunteer couldn't understand what he was saying. The volunteer must've asked about 9 times for him to repeat was he was saying, and after about the 5th time, they both broke out in laughter and it was very funny. The issue turned into a deeper relationship when the volunteer was willing to be humbled (a bit) and they both were able to see the heart of the other.

After all, most people would say..."Lighten Up!". It's going to be ok, but you'll look dumber if you 'pretend' to understand and end up assuming something incorrectly.