Differently-abled people is just another term for disabled people. Many people are not kind or comfortable around differently-abled people. The word itself “differently abled” is so profound. You do not have to feel uncomfortable around differently-abled people, and this usually happens when you lack knowledge, in different types of disabilities, and how to talk to people who are suffering them. Even in today’s schooling system, there is a lack of awareness, as to how to treat and support people who are differently-abled. There are many ways to even start a campaign for a disability support worker to support differently-abled people. Not only will doing this make you feel better as a person, but you will also be setting a great example for everyone else to follow.
Treat them like you would like to be treated being in their shoes
It is very easy to offend a differently-abled person, as their lack of abilities already demotivates them. However, this should not be the case. You have to be way more thoughtful, for example, if you are sitting on the bus and you notice an elderly person or a differently-abled person get on. You should offer your seat, by seeing this act of kindness, someone will be generous enough to offer you their seat. You do not have to keep that expectation. Cause then you won’t feel as good, and you will feel bad for because you didn’t get the seat. When you empathize instead of sympathizing, the whole thing becomes easy. You can easily offer someone your seat or try to make their day better, without expecting anything in return. You will be amazed at how good that feels. Doing something good for someone with expecting nothing in return is the most amazing feeling ever. Another very important tip is to, speak with the differently-abled person directly. For example, if they are hard of hearing, be patient with them and loud and clear with your words. If you are addressing someone who is hard of speaking, be patient and give them time to respond and don’t interrupt when they try to speak. Avoid speaking fast, like in general.
Be polite, ask first
A lot of differently-abled people, do not like to be helped, which is why it is always smart to ask before you go ahead and help someone. This way, even if they do not want to be helped, they will feel better because you asked. That being said, it is also likely that they do not like your consideration. But that should not affect your nature of helping people or differently-abled people. Asking before helping is the proper way to help anyone, disabled or not. You can easily tell if the individual you would like to help, wants to be helped or not if the signs are not clear, you can simply ask. As mentioned above, some differently-abled people can get annoyed rather quickly. It is also smart to choose your words carefully when speaking with differently-abled people. You need to maintain your patience and keep a steady tone. You may be addressing someone who is mentally challenged, and they may react aggressively, in a situation like this you can maintain a safe distance, but be sure not to let them think you are afraid that they might hurt you. Even if you know they can, it’s kind of like that play dead technique.
Become an educator or sign up for volunteer work
Another great way to help differently-abled people is to become a teacher or educator on the subject. Today’s schooling system needs all the help they can get. You can also sign up for volunteer work, and there are so many events happening. You can sign up as an assistant for disabled people. Remember that disable can mean both mentally or physically. This way, you do not have to react surprised if you see a person who looks absolutely fine; he may have some mental disability. You can search for such opportunities on the internet. Since you are interested in helping the differently-abled people, the most important thing to keep in mind is the fact that you should always use the correct words and terminology, when addressing differently-abled people. You need first to know what words are appropriate for which disabilities. So there will be more research on your part. However, you can rest assured that if you are trying to help someone, there is no way you can go wrong, so don’t worry about it too much either. That being said, avoid using words like retard or dumb. These two words are out of many other outdated words, which were once considered not offensive however in 2020 these words are found very much offensive and should be avoided when addressing people, who suffer from these disabilities.
If you are really weird of an awkward situation with your loved one, (who is disabled) ask questions but remember to be very polite and cautious not to cause any havoc. You will be surprised when you share knowledge with a differently-abled person. Like Einstein, there were so many geniuses who were disabled. If you can make friends with them, that is even better. By not letting them feel like they are any different from you or people who are not disabled.
These tips should help you in supporting differently-abled people in your everyday life. There are so many tips available on the internet. Some of the most useful and effective ones are mentioned above. You can use these tips to support not just differently-abled people in your family or amongst the friends, but also strangers or people you interact with on your way to work or school. The most important thing to be kind to the people around you and be safe. You can also start a volunteer program yourself with the help of your friends and family. This can be a legacy that you can leave behind. Thinking of other people and caring for them as you would for yourself is the most beautiful thing ever.