{"id":2672,"date":"2020-12-09T16:16:33","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T16:16:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disabilityawareness.training\/?p=2672"},"modified":"2020-12-09T16:16:33","modified_gmt":"2020-12-09T16:16:33","slug":"asking-questions-about-someones-disability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.krackeddigital.co.uk\/?p=2672","title":{"rendered":"Asking questions about someone\u2019s disability"},"content":{"rendered":"

British people as a whole are well-meaning and want to be seen as so. Known for an innate sense of politeness and tendency to apologise profusely, they feel it if they think they\u2019ve offended. And yet people often get it completely muddled when asking questions about someone’s disability with disabled friends, family, customers or staff. There is widely-known, appropriate discourse and terminology and it\u2019s really not that difficult. Yet a concern for transgressions often leads to long silences, completely ignoring the person in question, or panicked outbursts of very much the wrong thing to say, leaving the disabled person at worst feeling alienated and best eye-rollingly bemused. <\/span><\/p>\n

Never is this more prevalent than when asking questions about someone\u2019s disability. But fear not. If you are nodding sadly at this description of tongue-tied ineptitude then below are ETUK\u2019s top tips for discussing someone\u2019s disability in a way that won\u2019t cause offence and won\u2019t have them thinking you\u2019re a bit of an eejit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Why<\/span> are you asking?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Before asking questions about someone\u2019s disability pause and think, \u2018Why am I asking?\u2019 <\/span><\/p>\n

No one wants their disability to be the elephant in the room but is it relevant to the situation you\u2019re in? Asking someone you meet down the pub how they go to the toilet when they\u2019re in a wheelchair just reflects badly on you. And how well do you know this person?? Not everyone is happy to discuss their disability: it\u2019s private! There are a few legitimate reasons for asking questions about someone\u2019s disability (which we\u2019ll get to in a minute) but otherwise, is it any of your business?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When <\/span>can you ask questions about someone\u2019s disability?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

There are times when it\u2019s important to ask questions related to someone\u2019s disability, but these are few. One would be around a person\u2019s access issues. Do they need:<\/span><\/p>\n