Strategies for Effective Communication with People with Disabilities

This essay provides an overview of effective communication strategies for interacting with individuals with disabilities, emphasizing the importance of clear and respectful communication to foster inclusivity and understanding. It addresses challenges in communicating with people with deafness and vision impairment, offering practical techniques such as learning sign language, speaking face-to-face, providing clear verbal directions, and using appropriate language. The paper highlights the need for patience, avoiding assumptions, and seeking clarification to ensure successful communication and create a conducive environment for disabled individuals to perform their tasks effectively. The ultimate goal is to promote a more inclusive society where people with disabilities can fully participate and contribute.

Running head: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 1
Effective Communication with the Disabled
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EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 2
Introduction
Communication is the transmission of information by speaking, writing or by use of
any other medium used in communication. A medium of communication is used to transfer
information through sending and receiving using telephones or computers. In communication,
there must be a sender, the medium of communication and the receiver. It can be between
two people or more. Communication can be categorized into three where it can be verbal,
written or nonverbal. In verbal communication the person has to listen and understand, in
writing the person has to read and understand while in non-verbal communication the person
has to observe a person and infer the meaning. This paper provides an assessment of the use
of effective communication when working with the disabled.
There is effective communication when two or more people communicate and the
message is delivered successfully, received and well understood. Effective communication
helps to foster a good working relationship between the two or more parties. It helps to
improve morale and efficiency. Communication is said to be effective when the sender and
the receiver assign a similar meaning to the message leaving both the sender and the receiver
satisfied and significant understanding of the message(Ann, Lu, and Theng, 2014). Many
people find it difficult to communicate with people with disabilities. People with cognitive
disabilities are challenged in communicatig with others especially if the disability is
significant.
Communication as a challenge
Deafness is a disability which is misinterpreted in several ways. It is a communication
challenge that could be solved easily if only people agreed to learn sign language. Many
people are not willing to learn sign language since they ignore those with hearing disabilities
(Davis, 2016). If only people agreed to learn sign language they would have solved the
communication challenge with the hearing disabilities. Just like any other person the deaf

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need to communicate. Despite the efforts that have already been made, people should be
willing to do more so as to convey their thoughts and emotions.
There are varying levels in which a person can be considered deaf. Some only
experience hearing loss when the sounds are soft and moderate -this is a problem that can be
corrected through medical intervention and the person can improve his or her communication
(Hawkridge et al., 2018). Others experience a hearing problem when I come to loud speech.
They have to ability to hear sounds but they are not able to recognize them. Their hearing
abilities can be improved by medical or audio aids. There are devices such as cochlear
implants that can be used to improve their communication. They can also be exposed to more
complicated strategies in communication which can help them understand the speaker. For
those who do not hear any sound learn sign language and lip reading.
The deaf can still communicate without writing or typing every expression that they
say. If normal people are willing to learn sign language then it can be a lot easier to
communicate with them. People can be able to exchange ideas and hold conversations
(Waters and Manning, 2013). There are chances for those who can read lips to understand
and engage in a conversation more easily. There are techniques that can be used to make sure
that they understand.
When conversing with them you have to ensure that you speak with them face to
face. Ensure that there is proper lighting for them to see the face clearly. That way they can
read all the movements on the face. It's also sensible to ensure that you are in a quiet
environment to avoid the distraction of loud noises (Jadhav and Jagyasi, 2015). Loud noises
can confuse them and they might not understand what is intended of them. For the person to
read lips properly you have to speak naturally. You should not exaggerate the movements of
the mouth. Instead, you should use short sentences and simple words. As you lead the
conversation it is important you ensure that they understand the theme of the discussion.

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While holding the conversation it is important to ensure that there is a friendly
atmosphere. Let the person see your effort in making the conversation. Summarise particular
thoughts for easy understanding. Rearticulate words that may be misunderstood. If at all they
request you to repeat the words again do it and do it more clearly (Thistle and Wilkinson,
2013). Avoid shouting or being too loud. People have the assumption that all the deaf are the
same and they believe that shouting will help them hear what they are saying. There are
different degrees of deafness and to some, being shouted at is rudeness(Simon, 2014).
Gestures make the conversations more complete and easy. Gestures aid conversation not only
for the normal people but also for the disabled.
There are several things you need to consider when communicating with the disabled.
While talking to them do not make the assumption that they do not understand your speech. It
is advisable to remain patient and avoid disrupting them while communicating or finishing
their sentences in the assumption you already know what they are saying (Wylie et al., 2013).
Ensure that the questions you pose to them need short answers. In a situation where you do
not understand what they meant, seek clarification by asking them to repeat what they said.
Vision impairment
People with vision impairment are challenged in communication. This is because
they are not able to identify with the people they are communicating with. It is also a
challenge because they are not able to operate the communication devices that help in
communication. But this can be improved if the people they are conversing with address each
other by names so that he or she can identify them. Be specific with verbal directions and use
the right words to offer correct directions.
Conclusion
People with disabilities have responsibilities just like normal people. This paper has
provided an assessment of effective communication with the disabled. We share the same

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environment despite their challenge. It is important that their environment is made conducive
through communication so that they can be able to perform their tasks properly. They work
like normal people do to earn a living. Without effective communication, they cannot sell or
buy a new idea that makes them less fortunate.

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References
Ann, O. C., Lu, M. V., & Theng, L. B. (2014). A face based real time communication for
physically and speech disabled people. In Assistive Technologies: Concepts,
Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 1434-1460). IGI Global.
Davis, L. J. (2016). The disability studies reader. Routledge
Dunn, T. N., Silis, A., Farrell, D., Kumar, J., & Chapman, S. (2014). U.S. Patent No.
8,682,281. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Hawkridge, D., Vincent, T., & Hales, G. (2018). New information technology in the
education of disabled children and adults. Routledge.
Jadhav, C. V., & Jagyasi, B. (2015). U.S. Patent No. 9,111,545. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent
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Thistle, J. J., & Wilkinson, K. M. (2013). Working memory demands of aided augmentative
and alternative communication for individuals with developmental
disabilities. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 29(3), 235-245.
Waters, P., & Manning, S. (2013). U.S. Patent No. 8,594,563. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office.
Wylie, K., McAllister, L., Davidson, B., & Marshall, J. (2013). Changing practice:
Implications of the World Report on Disability for responding to communication
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