Disability Etiquette & Communications

Communicating With and About People with Disabilities

Thank you to Age Friendly Seattle for developing the following materials for event planners:

• Meeting the Needs of People with disAbilities: Community Guide to Accessible Events & Meetings
• Top 10 Tips
• Communication Access for Individuals Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
• Accessibility and Accommodation Notice (sample)

Other helpful materials include:

• Accessible Technology at UW (University of Washington)—see policy, guidelines, and tips in the navigation bar at the right side of the screen
• Consumer Awareness and … Guidelines for Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) Providers
• Communicating With and About People with Disabilities offers examples of “people first” language and language to avoid (Centers for Disease Control).
• Engaging People with Disabilities in Evidence-Based Programs includes disability etiquette and tips for interacting with people with all types of disabilities (National Council on Aging).
• How to Plan an Age- and Disability-Friendly Event (AgeWise King County, July 2018)

• A Planning Guide for Making Temporary Events Accessible to People with Disabilities (ADA National Network)
• Renewing the Commitment: An ADA Compliance Guide for Nonprofits includes sections on communication, emergency procedures, meetings and special events, and health care (The Chicago Community Trust).
• Strategies for Developing Accessible Documents and Presentations (National Center on Law & Elder Rights tip sheet)