Langar@DU Accessibility Guidelines

We have worked hard to ensurethis is an accessible event. Please read our volunteer accessibility guidelines before the event so we can ensure our event is accessible, inclusive, and welcoming for all. Thank you!

  1. Focus on the person, not their disabilities
  2. Do not infantilize a person with a disability.Treat them as you would anyone else
  3. Speak directly to the individual, not the interpreter, companion, or attendant
  4. Listen carefully, wait to reply until you are certain the individual has finished speaking
  5. Use person first language“people with disabilities”rather than disabled person.Ex: Reference specific disabilities when needed, like person with epilepsy or person who uses a wheelchair 
  6. Use the correct words: Say“disability.”Do not say“handicapped, special needs, ordifferently-abled.”
  7. Do NOT use derogatory words such as “midget,”or “crippled”or terms like “victim of,”“suffers from” or“stricken with a certain diagnosis”
  8. Do not touch or interact with a service animal without permission
  9. Do not assume a person needs assistance. Wait to be asked before offering help.Ex: Do not start pushing a person’s wheelchair without permissionas many consider it an extension of their physical being
  10. Be sensitive about personal contact and space.Do not touch or move a person’s mobility or other devices without permission
  11. Respect an individual’s privacy regardingtheir disability, unlessthey initiatea conversation. Do not ask intrusive and inappropriate questionssuch as “What is wrong with you?’or “How do you use the restroom?”
  12. If dz’runfamiliar with a disability, Dz’tmake assumptions.’sbetter to ask the person if necessaryto explain their condition, or the barrier they are encountering
  13. Introduce yourself and say when you are leaving if interacting witha person who is blind
  14. Make sure there is a clear view of your face and mouth when communicating, especially for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing
  15. Do not make a decisionon behalf of a person with a disability regardingwhat they can or cannot do