People with disabilities deal with a lot of things on a daily basis, starting from the fact that the world around them is barely adaptable and riddled with disadvantages. That’s why people need to be aware of these disadvantages and use their privilege for good, making the world a more disability-friendly place. Even the little things can be of great importance, starting from noticing the problems and striving to solve them. So here are 8 ways to enhance daily life for a person with a disability.
Educate yourself
The first step that can help the disabled community on a daily basis, is making sure you are well educated on the matter. There are so many different forms of disabilities, some are more noticeable and prominent while others are seemingly invisible, yet still impacting the person’s livelihood on a daily basis. So, before you jump into any form of activism, you want to do some research, speak to disabled people, and learn the many shapes and forms that disability comes in. And with that spread awareness and educate others, if you notice any form of discrimination, it’s all about learning and changing the world so it becomes a better place.
Understand individual experiences
Not all disabled people look the same, and not all disabled people act the same, so it’s only natural that everyone has their own, personal experience with their disability. Putting them all in a box and acting as if you know what they’re going through won’t help anyone, with that being said never dismiss someone before getting to know them. Everyone is different, some people are open about their disabilities, whilst others don’t want to speak to strangers about it, and it’s your responsibility to respect that and not push them.
Hire disabled people
It’s safe to say that disabled people are still not getting enough recognition, as most spaces are not adapted to their needs therefore they are unsuited to work there. But there are so many benefits of hiring someone with a disability, not only for your business but for the disabled community as well. Being able to hire them, opening job positions that are disability-friendly is great, as it will employ more people and allow them to work in a good environment. This is a giant step, and a needed one at that, so make sure that your company is well aware of this problem, and if possible, hire more people with various disabilities. Work shouldn’t be a luxury, it should be a norm.
Support not control
Obviously, wanting to help someone is always a good thing, but sometimes you might be doing more harm than good. Instead of jumping in and helping someone, make sure you ask them first; don’t make things awkward by touching them and jumping to conclusions that they need help. Even if they are disabled, they are still capable of doing lots of things, from crossing the street on their own to driving wheelchair accessible vehicles, so don’t decide instead of them. Even if your intranet was good and you wanted to be helpful, you need to ask for consent, imagine if someone randomly started touching you and being all up in your business, wouldn’t feel nice, right?
Keep accessibility in mind
When trying to meet up with someone who is disabled, you need to check out if the area is disability-friendly or not, especially when it comes to parking and ramps for wheelchair users; this is crucial. If you are a professor and your school is not yet equipped with certain devices and useful things for students with disabilities, you need to advocate for them and make sure the school is a safe and practical environment. Some things seem totally insignificant for you, but for them, it’s a make-or-break fact, so focus on finding more disability-friendly places and generally advocate for them to be more catered to disabled people.
Be mindful of their space
Sometimes, people are unaware of how much freedom and space they actually have, and forget the fact how people with disabilities aren’t that lucky in most cases. Lots of spaces, especially streets, are not suited for disabled people, whether it’s due to their wheelchairs or their visual impairments, it can be frustrating for them to get around certain areas. This can be even harder if people around them aren’t mindful of their space, so make sure you are always checking around yourself and not take up too much space in the street, especially if you notice a disabled person near you.
Don’t jump to conclusions
It’s good if you don’t jump to conclusions when interacting with someone with a disability, regardless of what sorts. Never jump to conclusions and put them in certain boxes and stereotypes, especially when it comes to how a person is acting and behaving. Just like most people, people with disabilities are no different, they don’t expect to be treated better or to be pitied; it can be quite disrespectful to baby them and treat them like children. Treat them like regular people, don’t put them on a pedestal and make things awkward, just interact normally and respect them.
Always advocate for change
Advocating for change and spreading awareness can do a lot of good in the long run, as this is a serious topic that’s not talked about enough. Even if you don’t have anyone with a disability in your inner circle, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be fighting for their rights and enhancing their daily life. It’s simply not fair to just sit back and not do anything, while disabled people have to adapt to the world that’s clearly not suited for their needs. A change is needed and will come only when everyone starts noticing the problem.
At the end of the day, it’s all about being understanding and having patience with everyone, regardless of who they are or what they are going through. The truth is, you never know what a person needs, even if they seem like they are in need of help, never jump and breach their personal space. By being a good listener and advocating for change, you are able to be a good ally to the disabled community, so try to keep it up.
Tommy Williamson did his degree in psychology at the University of Edinburgh. He has an ongoing interest in mental health and well-being.
