Tips On Helping Someone With A Disability

If you are working with someone who has a disability, there are challenges you will face. Working and coping with someone who has a disability can be difficult for both the carer and the individual. You will find yourself in situations where you both feel uncomfortable. But, you just need to remember that you are there to help them. With these tips you should find these instances easier to handle.

Be Patient

When working with someone who has a disability, it’s important to be patient. Either mental or physical, someone with a disability might find it challenging to cope or understand the situation. You need to to accept this possibility and account for it with your actions. If you’re working with someone who has a mental disability, it’s important that you take the time to try and explain things to them. For someone with a physical disability, you just may need to wait until they are ready to accept your help. Someone who has developed a disability later in life will often be more reluctant to accept a higher level of care and attention. You must be understanding of this.

See Their Side

If you are working with an individual, it’s important to see their side. A recent psychology study involved the psychologist spending one day in a wheelchair. Just one day attempting to live his life normally. He quickly found this was not possible. But more than that, he was surprised by the isolation he experienced as well as the number of people who no longer treated him as they would a human being. Do your best to understand what the person is going through by seeing life through their eyes. If you can do this, you will become a better carer. You will know more of the person that you are looking after.

Knowledge is Key

If you are working with someone who has a disability on a professional level, you might have training. But there are lots of situations where you will be working with someone who has a disability and have had no formal training. You could be working with someone in your career. Or, if you are a teacher there might be a child with a disability in your class. If that’s the case, you may want to consider taking one of the disability courses. This will help you understand more about their situation, what they are going through, and how you can help them cope.

Offer Help

You should offer help to someone with a disability if you think they need it. It’s not uncommon for the situation to arise where someone with a disability needs help but will not ask for it. If you are a carer, at this point, you should step in. If you don’t, it could lead to a dangerous or awkward situation.

Treat Them As People

Remember that someone with a disability is no different from you. A wheelchair does not take away someone’s humanity. But, treating them as less than a person could.

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