Management: Interpersonal Communication Skills with Disabled Clients

This report delves into the critical aspects of interpersonal communication skills when interacting with disabled clients. It identifies various barriers to effective communication, such as physical limitations, language differences, and mental disabilities. The report highlights essential communication skills, including active listening, patience, and the importance of addressing the client directly rather than through a helper. Additionally, it suggests applicable resources like mobility aids, hearing devices, and communication boards to facilitate smoother interactions. The study emphasizes the significance of understanding specific disabilities to enhance comfort and improve overall communication effectiveness. Desklib provides this document as part of its collection of student-contributed assignments.

Running Head: MANAGEMENT
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Management
Interpersonal Communication Skills
(Student details :)
5/14/2019

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Contents
Interpersonal Communication Skills..........................................................................................2
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Interpersonal Communication....................................................................................................2
Barriers in Interpersonal Communication with Disabled Clients..........................................2
Communication skills required for an effective communication with Disabled Clients.......3
Applicable resources while communicating with Disabled Clients.......................................4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................4
References..................................................................................................................................5

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Interpersonal Communication Skills
Introduction
The report is based on the topic of interpersonal communication skills while dealing
with the clients. In this context, major factors of interpersonal communication include
barriers, skills required and applicable resources will be discussed in detail. To do so, the
targeted client group will be disability, as they are especially abled people of the community
rather than disabled people of the community (Chaney & Martin, 2012). Besides, this paper is
going to describe the barriers while working with the disability client group. Moreover, while
demonstrating the required communication skills as well as identifying applicable resources,
this report will derive conclusions on the basis of conducted research over the chosen client
group.
Interpersonal Communication
In this context, a lot of factors are involved in failure of the interpersonal
communications. The reason is that within many communication scenarios, the note or info
which is to send may not be conceived exactly in the way the sender intended. Therefore, the
communicators always seek feedbacks for checking that their sent message is clearly
understood or not (Lolli, 2013). While we talk about disability client group, then skills
like active listening, clarification as well as reflection may help the communicators and
clients as well. At the same time, the skilled communicator requires to be aware of the
barriers in order to effectively communicate with the disabled client group (Martin &
Nakayama, 2013).
Barriers in Interpersonal Communication with Disabled Clients
In this era, there can be so many barriers while communicating with disabled client
group as well as they may occur at any phase across the communication process (Myers &
Bastian, 2010). The study of the barriers is important because they may lead to ruin the real
meaning of the communicated message, these barriers are as follows:
 Physical barriers to non-verbal communication: this is a barrier while communicating
with the clients not being able to grab the non-verbal gestures, cues, posture as well as

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general body language, and it makes the communication less effective (Cooren, Kuhn,
Cornelissen, & Clark, 2011).
 Physical disabilities like hearing impairment, problems or speech difficulties: as we
know that base of an effective interpersonal communication is the healthy human
body which can response efficiently and effectively in all of the communication ways.
Hence, if client is having any impairment related to hearing or speech then
communication will be really difficult (Keller, 2013).
 Difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents or Language differences also poses
problems while communicating to chosen client groups.
 When there are two factors combined together like cultural differences and disability
then this situation poses huge barriers for the communicators.
 Minor mental disabilities: when the client group peoples are having some minor
mental disabilities then they do not realize their disabilities which are again a barrier
to effective interpersonal communication (Kim & McKay-Semmler, 2013).
Communication skills required for an effective communication with
Disabled Clients
While communicating with the people having disabilities, one should take care of
several factors and considerations; hence there is a list of communication skills required for
effectively communicating with the disabled client group as follows:
 One should utilise a normal voice tone while communicating with the chosen client
group. Besides, an individual should not raise their voice unless they are asked to
(Littlejohn & Foss, 2010).
 One should be patient and polite while not rushing the conversations.
 As we know that disability group clients more often found with one or two helpers,
hence one should always speak directly to the client rather than the helper with them.
 When there is a communication is going with such client group, then we should ask
the person about what can help with the effective communication by using different
ways of communicating with them.
 One should never pretend like they are complete understanding them while actually
not. Instead of pretending, let the client know that you are facing difficulty and hence
always try to ask more and more questions about the relevant matter.

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 The communicators should be flexible and hence reword them rather than repeating
anything which is not understood across the communication (Putnam & Nicotera,
2009).
 Interpersonal communication skills suggest that communicator should offer assistance
whenever it is necessary while also respecting the client’s wishes when they do not
accept communicator’s offer.
 Communicator should always avoid saying anything which implies the client with
disability is a superhuman, special or courageous (Kim & McKay-Semmler, 2013).
 The communicators should keep calm and relaxed as everyone can make mistakes.
They should apologise when they believe they have embarrassed their client.
 Furthermore, interpersonal communication skills suggest that communicators should
only refer to the client’s disability whenever necessary or if it is relevant (Lolli, 2013).
Applicable resources while communicating with Disabled Clients
As we know that there are so many challenges, barriers and issues while developing
an effective interpersonal communication skill in the context of dealing with disability client
group thus, this paper is suggesting some major applicable resources which may assist when
communicating with the disabled client group as follows:
 While dealing with clients having mobility limitations applicable resources can
include the client’s scooter, wheelchair, walker, crutches, cane or any other mobility
aid (Dozier, Grunig, & Grunig, 2013).
 While communicating with clients having vision loss, applicable resources can be the
client’s glasses and his or her blind stick if required (Cooren, Kuhn, Cornelissen, &
Clark, 2011).
 Interpersonal communication skills in the context of disability group clients suggest
that resources like hearing aid or assistive hearing device along with the sign language
interpreter can be used for having an effective communication.
 While dealing with the clients having speech difficulties or speech disabilities,
applicable resources can be communication device like electronic or manual
communication board (Summers & Smith, 2010).

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Conclusion
In conclusion, this discussion has successfully highlighted the significance of
interpersonal communication skills in the context of communicating with disability client
group. The paper has covered the barriers, communication skills required as well as
applicable resources to have an effective communication with the disabled clients. In this
way, info provided in this document has identified all general issues from the perspective of
communicating with all clients with disabilities. Finally, all the communicators should be
familiar with interpersonal communication strategies, through learning more on specific types
of disabilities to enhance their comfort level as well as interpersonal communication skills.
References
Chaney, L., & Martin, J. (2012). Intercultural business communication. UK: Prentice Hall.
Cooren, F., Kuhn, T., Cornelissen, J., & Clark, T. (2011). Communication, organizing and
organization: An overview and introduction to the special issue. Organization Studies,
32(9), 1149-1170.
Dozier, D., Grunig, L., & Grunig, J. (2013). Manager's guide to excellence in public relations
and communication management. UK: Routledge.
Keller, M. (2013). Social Media and Interpersonal Communication. Social Work Today,
13(3), 10. Retrieved from Social Work Today.
Kim, Y., & McKay-Semmler, K. (2013). Social engagement and cross-cultural adaptation:
An examination of direct-and mediated interpersonal communication activities of
educated non-natives in the United States. International Journal of Intellectual
Relations, 37(1), 99-112.
Littlejohn, S., & Foss, K. (2010). Theories of human communication. England: Waveland
Press.
Lolli, J. (2013). Interpersonal communication skills and the young hospitality leader: Are
they prepared? International Journal of Hospitality Management, 32, 295-298.
Martin, J., & Nakayama, T. (2013). Intercultural communication in contexts. New York:
McGraw-Hill.

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Myers, K., & Bastian, J. (2010). Understanding communication preferences of college
students with visual disabilities. Journal of College Student Development, 51(3), 265-
278.
Putnam, L., & Nicotera, A. (2009). Building theories of organization: The constitutive role of
communication. London: Routledge.
Summers, J., & Smith, B. (2010). Communication skills handbook: How to succeed in written
and oral communication. Australia: John Wiley & Sons.