Cover of Disability Etiquette brochure, United Spinal

Cover of Disability Etiquette brochure, United Spinal

I was stopped in the grocery yesterday by a sweet little boy, probably 3-4 years old. “Hey, hey there, why do you have that wheelchair?” Kids that age are naturally curious and every thought they have just pops out of their mouths. They haven’t developed the filters of what is appropriate and what isn’t. (Of course, I answered him respectfully and truthfully. I don’t consider questions like that rude at his age.) If an adult asked me the same question, I’d probably be mildly irked. So no wonder some folks are uncomfortable knowing what to say or ask a person with a disability, fearing they might cause insult unintentionally.

 

What is acceptable to say or do around folks with disabilities? United Spinal has a great list of disability etiquette tips online and a downloadable .pdf version. It’s the first one I’ve read in a long time that addresses people of short stature (like ME!) as well as numerous other situations beyond the more common wheelchair user, etc.  It’s a great read for everyone.