“There is no greater disability in society, than the inability to see a person as more.” By Robert M. Hensel, Differently-abled people are usually the strongest, brave, kind, and loving people in this world. It must be remembered that some of the most successful people in the world like Helen Keller, Stephen Hawking, and Albert Einstein were all disabled. We must see the person in them; not the disability. They are similar to a normal human who is sharper and have a true soul.
Some of the important aspects that you should keep in mind while you are having communication with a person having some disability.
1. Don’t Pretend to understand everything
If you don't understand what exactly the person in front of you having some disability is addressing then don’t act like you are understanding everything rather than that feel free to ask them again. “ Can You please repeat it again? ”
This won’t offend them; rather they would love to address it again, as it will show the honesty in it; The person knows that the language can be difficult to understand. So if you are having a problem, please tell that person.
2. Make sure the conversation is in the right direction
When we communicate with a person who has difficulty understanding, we should often pick up a few words, not the whole thing again that the person is addressing, and if you think ask the person, if you are right or not. This will assure the person that you are not pretending to hear but are actually listening to him/her.
3. They can be more like people who say "yes" and "no".
If you are talking to a differently-abled person, check whether the person is more likely to answer and is more likely to do a conversation saying “Yes” and “No”. They may be normal words that are really short for the conversation but it has a big impact on communication with them. The terms could also be a nod, shake, blink, or hand gesture. If you realize that the person says these two words frequently, try to do the conversation in the same manner and keep in mind to answer them in a similar manner.
4. Listen and observe the conversation
Listen to the person but don't forget to observe the body language the person. When you are communicating with someone, you must pay close attention to that person. When it comes to disabling people, listening and observing becomes very important since it helps to avoid miscommunication. Every person might not understand their language, but observing and carefully listening it'll make the process smooth and cooperative. Our ability to observe what is being said is as important as listening to it. Even during professional conversations, it can help create social and health care into a working alliance leading to creating a communication environment between disabled clients and professionals.
Also, there might be something which they are not comfortable with so this will help you understand the situation better.
5. Never avoid eye contact
Eye contact with the person having a disability is a very important aspect, it makes them feel that they are not different, and having communication is not making you feel uncomfortable. Never avoid eye contact with them, always talk to the person with eye contact. If you avoid eye contact, the person might feel uncomfortable and feel ignored. They are also human beings who are liable to get the same respect as a person who doesn't have such a problem.