A quick guide to treating people with disabilities like the humans they are MONDAY KICK START A quick guide to treating people with disabilities like the humans they are Good intentions don’t always land when speaking with people with disabilities or mental health conditions. Oftentimes, certain words or behaviors may leave them feeling infantilized, disrespected, or misunderstood. Knowing what to say –– and what not to say –– can go a long way in helping disabled people feel like the human beings they are.
We tapped Chief Medical Officer of Elocin Psychiatric Services Nicole B. Washington, DO, to create this brief guideline of do’s and don’ts to consider when talking with people with disabilities.
Do: • Ask which language they prefer you use: person-first (“a person with a disability”) or identity-first (“a disabled person”)? • Include them in activities, but be flexible and understanding if they need to cancel. • Serve as a safe space for them to be their authentic self without judgment. • Learn about their disability to better understand their experience and how to support them.
Don’t: • Discount their disability or tell them they don’t look disabled. (e.g., “You don’t have a disability! You just have different abilities.”) • Treat them like children. • Speak to them in a slower or louder voice. • Automatically do things for them because you assume it’d be helpful or easier that way. “Ultimately, people with disabilities just want to be treated like people,” says Washington.
