A – Z of Disability Etiquette has had a facelift!

We’ve turned our informative PDF resource into an animated video to ensure that you’re on top of the best language and etiquette tips to use when talking to someone living with a disability.

This new and improved version has taken pointers from disability advocates, people living with a disability and employees of Independence Australia, to collate the most important and up to date pointers on good disability etiquette.

You can check out the full animated A – Z of Disability Etiquette video below, spoken by our SpinChat educational speaker Joel de Munk.

A – Ask before you help; it’s not always wanted.

B – Be patient with how others communicate.

C – Communicate naturally and with expressions.

D – Don’t ask intrusive questions.

E – Communicate at eye level.

F – Focus on the person, not their disability.

G – Don’t use patronising gestures like patting a head or shoulder.

H – Host events in accessible spaces.

I – Always respect a person’s choices and independence.

J – Avoid being judgmental.

K – Keep paths and accessible car parks clear of barriers.

L – Leave accessible toilets for people with disability.

M – Don’t move someone’s wheelchair or assistive devices without permission.

N – Never assume someone’s access needs. Ask if you’re not sure.

O – Avoid offensive language about disability.

P – Do not pat a service dog at work.

Q – Be committed to increasing quality of life for people with disabilities.

R – Research disability and accessibility to be a better ally.

S – Speak directly to the person with the disability.

T -Give up your seat on public transport if someone else needs it.

U – Never pretend to understand what a person is saying. It’s okay to ask for clarification.

V – Value the work of people with disability and encourage their input to society

W – Be willing to be flexible.

X – See a person’s x factor and not their limitations.

Y – Introduce yourself as you would with anyone else.

Z – Zip it! Not everyone wants to talk about their disability

To download a higher resolution copy of our original A – Z of Disability Etiquette poster, click here.