- Walk alongside and slightly ahead of him/her. Do not hold the person’s hand. Allow him/her to hold your arm.
- Bend your arm to your back when passing through a narrow space. S/he will get directly behind you to avoid obstacle
A reasonable accommodation is any administrative, environmental or procedural changes enabling persons with disabilities to fully participate in economic activities and education and enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment or fully access services and livelihood interventions.
Reasonable accommodation may be provided for persons with disabilities, whether the disability is an existing or an acquired condition, or of a temporary or permanent nature.
Most importantly, work with individuals to discuss their support needs and how these could be accommodated by the support services, facilities and funds available.
Read more about reasonable accommodations here
Inclusive communication relates to all modes of communication including written information, online information, telephone, and face to face. It involves sharing information in a way that everybody can understand and implies the use of tools that are necessary for supporting specific communication needs of an individual with disabilities.
When communicating face to face, this could mean sitting down to speak to a wheelchair user at eye level, writing a note to a person with a hearing impairment, or speaking in simple language for a person with an intellectual impairment. If you feel confused about the best way to communicate with a person, feel free to ask!
You can make reports, and communications materials inclusive by producing comprehensive materials in varried formats, adding alt text to photos, and captions to videos
Read more about inclusive communications here
Just like there is no single spoken language used all over the world, there is no universal sign language. Sign language varies from country to country and even some regions and/or population groups within a country can have different signs. Currently, there are over 300 different types of sign language used around the world.
However, this should not discourage you! Learning the most common sign language that is widely understood in your country/region is a start. It is possible to learn basics of sign language such as the alphabet and commonly used signs including greetings through online clips and videos.
If you would like to become more fluent and be able to hold meaningful conversations in sign language, you will need formal training and lots of practice. Remember, Sign Language is a full and nuanced language just like English, Swahili, Portugese or French. Be patient with yourself because it will take time to master.
Search online and find out if there are any sign language training centres in your city/area. You can also contact a local organisation of people with hearing impairments in your city/area for more information. Good luck! Reach out and let us know about your progress.
Learn more about including people with hearing impairments here
Impairment is the loss of a function of the body while a disability is an impairment combined with barriers in society.
Read more: What is disability?
