Some of us have gone through our lives with little or no contact with people with disabilities. The appearance of a person with a disability in your office may prove unsettling. 像这样的问题，“这个人将如何沟通?“我该如何测试和评估这个人呢??” “How can this person perform the requirements of the job?都是正常的. 希望, within these pages you will find some answers or assurances that will make your interactions positive and not negative.
The biggest barriers that people with disabilities face, 也是最难消除的障碍, are other people’s negative attitudes and erroneous images of them. Some common pitfall reactions to people with disabilities are:
- 重要的是你的标签. Individuals adopt a label, usually based upon a person’s disability. There is little regard for the individuality of the person, i.e. the blind have all the same needs; all quadriplegics have the same interests and abilities; people with any kind of physical impairment are “the handicapped” or “the crippled” and all become “cases.”
- 我为你感到难过. 在这种怜悯的症候群中, focus is inordinately on the negative aspects of the person’s life: a life filled with pain, 痛苦, 困难, 挫折, 恐惧, 和拒绝. Although you may be aware of these negative feelings and try not to show them, they often emerge through the tone of voice or in the expression on your face.
- 别担心，我会救你的. Characteristics of this pitfall are expressions such as the following: “I’ll do it for you,“饶了他吧。,”“别担心, 我会处理的,”“这对你来说太难了.”
- 我知道什么对你最好. This syndrome is characterized by such expressions, as “You shouldn’t” “You’ll never…” “You can’t…” or “Unrealistic dreamer.”
- 你和我，谁更焦虑? Characteristic comments about the person are typically communicated to colleagues, 家人和朋友. 这些包括“让我感到不舒服。,”“这太令人沮丧了,“我应付不了……”和“……不够。.”
People with disabilities are just people who may happen to have more 困难 than others walking, 移动, 会说话的, 学习, 呼吸, 看到, 听力, 等. 他们非常像其他人. They pass; they fail; they succeed; they go bankrupt; they take trips; they stay at home; they are bright people; they are good people; they are pains in the neck; they are trying to get by. To free yourself from the limitations of the reactions above, 记住这些一般性建议:
对自己慷慨一点. Admit that the uneasiness you feel is your problem (not the person’s), and realize that it will pass with time and exposure.
不要害怕说错或做错. By avoiding communication or contact with a person with a disability, 恐惧和误解无法遏制. Discomfort can and will be eased if people with disabilities and people without disabilities see and interact with each other more often in work and social settings.
直接与残疾人交谈. Comments to attendants or friends such as, “does he want to…” should be avoided. When a deaf person is using a sign language interpreter, look at the person and direct all questions and comments to the person.
Use common sense and a positive, respectful attitude. When you are not sure of yourself, ask the person with the disability the appropriate behavior. Keep in mind though that each person may have different preferences. What is appropriate for one person may not be appropriate for another person, 即使他们有相同类型的残疾.
Expect the person with a disability to meet the same standards of performance as all employees. They are here because of their abilities, not their disabilities.
不提供毛毯住宿. Needs vary much among individuals, even those with the same type of disability. 因此, all accommodations are not automatically applicable to all persons with a particular disability. A disability can vary in terms of the degree of limitation, the length of time the person has been disabled (adjustment to the disability), 条件的稳定性.
Do not discuss a person’s disability or related needs with anyone who does not have a legitimate need to know. A person’s disability and any work-related functional limitations caused by that disability should be held in the strictest confidence.
Do not feel that people with disabilities are getting unfair advantages. Accommodations help to ‘even the field’ so that a person may be effective in their work. People with disabilities do not get by with less work. Often, they must work harder than their non-disabled co-workers.
Pretending to understand someone’s speech when you do not will hinder communication, not enhance it. Some people with disabilities may have 困难 in expressing ideas orally. Wait for the person to finish their thought, rather than interrupting or finishing it for them. 如果你不明白所说的话, 把你不懂的复述一遍, and the other person will fill in or correct your understanding where needed. It is appropriate to ask the person if it may be easier for them to write down the information; however, 你必须准备好接受否定的答案.’
Recognize that a person with a disability may afford you a unique opportunity. What is not always readily appreciated is the unique input of a person whose life experiences may be different from the norm. If we view this situation as a 学习 experience rather than a problem, 我们都可以因此而丰富.