The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The purpose of ADA is to assure civil rights to qualified people with disabilities.

Customers Are Our Business

Qualified individuals with disabilities are persons who meet the essential eligibility requirements for a public service, with or without the need for modifications to make that service accessible. About 43,000,000 Americans have one or more physical or mental disability, with this number increasing as the U.S. population grows older. Some of your customers may have disabilities and may need assistance during shopping, browsing, or even emergencies, and just as many of your customers may have to travel to get to the location of your business or organization, people with disabilities also travel to work, school, museums, medical facilities, movies, etc.

ADA & Customer Service

• See the person who has the disability as a person, not as a disability.
• Don’t talk down to or pity the person with the disability.
• Speak directly to the customer who has the disability, not to a companion or an interpreter.
• Treat adults as adults.
• Be considerate, it may take extra time for the customer with the disability to say or do some things.
• If you offer your assistance and the customer refuses, don’t insist. If your offer of help is accepted however, ask how you can best help and then follow directions. Do not take over.
• Just relax. Don’t be overly concerned about using common expressions like, “See you later.”

“People First” Terminology

The best and most polite thing to do is to place the person before the disability. Avoid referring to people by their disability, for instance referring to someone as an epileptic or a blind person. A person is not a condition. So what would be the correct thing to say? We can say that there is a person with epilepsy or a person who is blind. By the same token, people are not “wheelchair-bound” or “confined” to wheelchairs. Remember, they use their wheelchairs to increase their ability to get around and enhance their freedom. The right thing to say would be a “wheelchair user” or “a person that uses a wheelchair.”

Physical Disabilities

• Do not make assumptions about what a person can and cannot do. A person with a physical disability is the best judge of his/her own capabilities.
• Do not push a person’s wheelchair or grab the arm of someone walking with difficulty without first asking if you can be of assistance. Personal space includes a person’s wheelchair, crutches, or other mobility aid.
• Don’t leave without saying you’re leaving.
• If you are offering directions to a person who is blind, be as specific as possible and point out obstacles in the path of travel. Use clock cues such as, “The door is at 2 o’clock.”
• Alert people who are blind or visually impaired about posted information.
• Never pet or otherwise distract a guide dog unless the owner has given you permission.

Cognitive Disabilities

• When speaking to someone who has a cognitive disability, try to be alert to their responses so that you can adjust your method of communication if necessary.
• People with brain injuries may have short term memory deficits and may repeat themselves or require information to be repeated.
• People with auditory perceptual problems may need to have directions repeated, and may take notes to help them remember directions or the sequence of tasks.
• People with perceptual or “sensory overload” problems may become disoriented or confused if there is too much to absorb at once. Provide information gradually and clearly.
• Repeat information using different wording or a different communication/speech approach if necessary. Allow time for the information to be fully understood.
• Some people who have a cognitive disability may be easily distracted. Try not to think of this distraction as rudeness.

Speech Disabilities

• Talk to people with speech disabilities as you would talk to anyone else.
• Give the person your undivided attention.
• Ask short questions that require brief answers or a head nod. However try not to insult the person’s intelligence with oversimplification.

Hearing Disabilities

• Ask the person how he/she prefers to communicate.
• Speak clearly, but do not over-enunciate or exaggerate words.
• Unless you are specifically asked to do so, do not raise your voice. Speak in a normal tone: Do Not Shout.
• If you are writing a message for someone who is deaf or hard of hearing, don’t talk, since the person cannot read your note and lips at the same time.
• If you do not understand something that is said, ask the person to repeat it or write it down. The goal is communication. Do not pretend to understand if you do not.

Remember, Some Disabilities Are Not Visible

People with arthritis, seizure disorders, heart problems, etc., who appear “normal” are in fact disabled under the ADA and may be traveling with a service animal to assist them to fetch/carry items, alert them to sounds, guide them, etc.