7 things to help disabled people make life easier
Sometimes, people aren’t aware of how the world doesn’t treat everyone the same way, especially through the lens of people with disabilities. It’s safe to say that the majority of our planet is not adept to cater to everybody’s needs, so that’s why people need to stick together and make the world a more disability-friendly place! This can be as small as being more educated and spreading awareness on the matter, to actually building an environment that helps the disabled in more ways than one. So here are 7 things to help disabled people and make their life easier!
1. Educate yourself
A common problem a lot of people face is the lack of knowledge when it comes to disabled people. Disability, don’t just apply when someone’s in a wheelchair, there are lots of different types of disabilities, some more noticeable than others, so it’s important to keep that in mind and not jump to conclusions. This can help disabled people in the grand scheme of things, as more people will be aware of the different kinds of disabled people, as well as how to react to them accordingly, so it suits their needs the best!
2. Ask if they need help
Never assume that someone needs help just because they are disabled, this can be deemed disrespectful even if you had nothing but good intentions. Just because someone is disabled, does not mean you need to automatically give them special treatment and do stuff for them without asking, if they need help, they’ll let you know. Nowadays, disabled people are allowed to do a lot more things thanks to technology, from useful car adaptations for independent mobility to a touch-free smartphone, allowing people with disabilities to live their life normally! The stigma that disabled people are helpless needs to change, as they are more than capable to do stuff - so don’t assume and jump into action before being asked, as you can totally offend a disabled person by doing so!
3. Check for accessibility
If you are setting up a meeting with someone disabled, especially if they are in a wheelchair, you absolutely need to see if the meeting location is well adapted and disability-friendly, parking is a crucial part and you want to make sure that the person can have enough space to get out of their vehicle. And on the other hand, if you are an employer, you want to have a safe space for all your workers, and this means adapting to their needs as the environment can be a huge factor in their struggle. A lot of small things, that are overlooked by people without disabilities, are actually crucial for those who have them!
4. Have patience
Sometimes, people are quick to dismiss another person, without even considering the chances of that person being disabled, this is the case with certain disabilities that aren't as visible or noticeable at first. Instead of attacking someone, try to be as polite and understanding as possible, and speak clearly and loudly so the other person can understand you, even little details like eye contact can be extremely helpful in certain cases, so be mindful of that too! Being irritated and hurrying someone up is disrespectful, and it won’t help anyone at the end of the day!
5. Understand personal space
When you come across a disabled person, regardless if they are a person in a wheelchair or if they are a blind person with a walking stick, you need to be aware of your surroundings, give them as much space as you can as it can truly help them out! With that being said, never touch and push someone's wheelchair without them asking first, this can also apply to people who are visually impaired - you don’t have to grab them when crossing the sidewalk, they are well equipped to do it themselves. Disabled people deserve their own personal space, so if you are all up in their business you aren’t helping anyone, and you're just going to make them feel awkward. Who wants to be touched without consent? No one, even if you had the best intentions in mind, try to keep a distance and don’t stand in their way!
6. Spread awareness
If you don’t know anyone who is disabled in your life, you can still help the community indirectly by spreading awareness and preaching for a change! It’s safe to say that disabled people have so many disadvantages when doing their day-to-day tasks, some you don’t even think about since the world is adapted to non-disabled people more than it is for those who are disabled. This can be anything, even things that are already complicated like traveling, can be even harder for those with disabilities, not all airports and airplanes are suitable for wheelchairs, and you hardly ever hear people speak about that? So if you want to help the disabled community, it’s best if you can sign important petitions, spread information on social media and in real life, and by doing so you are indirectly changing the world and making it disability-friendly!
7. Try to adapt depending on their needs
Sometimes, you need to take the direct approach - and this means adapting to the needs of those around you! If people in your circle have disabilities, you need to make sure that the environment is disability-friendly in every way possible, and in some cases, you can even learn their way of communication, or learn how to properly use their aid gadgets, little things like that can truly help your loved ones. If you are a social worker, a teacher, or anyone who comes across a lot of people on a daily basis, you need to learn to adapt to different kinds of people, don’t give them special treatment, but understand them and cater to their needs!
At the end of the day, people still have a lot of things to learn when it comes to different kinds of disabilities and how to approach these people! Even if you think you are doing the right thing, you still need to respect their space and rights, so never insert yourself in situations no one asks you to join! Instead, be mindful and always educate yourself on the matter!
