Get Over Yourself... We're Only Disabled Part 4

Get Over Yourself... We're Only Disabled 

Chapter 4

Communication Is Key!

Thinking of different types of disabilities in the world, people with some disabilities will respond very differently to people and sometimes may need to be spoken to in a specific way for them to be able to understand.  Sometimes people might prefer being spoken to just like everyone else, however, some people might need more special attention when being spoken to such as needing to be spoken to slower, so they can listen and pick up what the person is saying or they might enjoy listening to different sounds people make to entertain individuals.  Some people with a brain injury can take longer to listen to what people are saying, because it takes their brains longer to process the information before responding.

For instance, I don't mind being spoken to quickly.  However, I find it difficult to pick up important information and remember it when there’s lots of other things going on at the same time.  So I prefer to be spoken to clearly and be sure that I know what is going on before I start doing the next thing I’m going to do.  I know some people like to be spoken to in stages, so they can retain the information and follow through with whatever they need to do with the information, whether it’s just a conversation, instructions or news; it might take some people different lengths of time to understand and respond before they can take in the conversation.  

Some individuals with disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy and Autism may have sensitive hearing and things like shouting or talking abruptly may startle people as it is very sudden and can frighten them.  I know how this feels as I have seen people go into a scared and shy mood and then try to get away from the noise as quickly as possible or show very stressed behaviours and get upset. The best recommendation to support the individual to calm down and feel safe is to take them away from the situation and distract them from the noise.  Everyone must be aware of their noise levels when around people with sensitive hearing.

It’s not just about getting your message across to the person, it’s also supporting them so they can understand what you’re saying and why you are saying it.  Like myself, I sometimes get confused or forget what someone has said, especially if it’s about a specific time or place I need to be.  So it’s just making sure people break down what they are saying to just allow the person to keep up with the conversation.  This is not all of the time and some people with disabilities are very good at keeping up with a conversation but sometimes they might need prompting or reminding of what’s been said.   When the brain has been damaged, it may cause them to have short term memory loss or find it difficult to pick relevant information out.  They may need reminding at times what has been said or done.  

Not all of the time, but sometimes, people look at someone with a disability and speak to them as if they were a young child.  This frustrates me a lot and I don't like it when people do this to me.  I want to point out that, just because we are disabled and may be in a wheelchair, it doesn't mean we don't understand.  Sometimes people that are in wheelchairs might be unable to walk or they might have a leg or back problem.  

It is all to do with trying to see past the disability and just focus on how beautiful and unique the person is.  They might be disabled but everyone has many other special qualities about them. People are special and unique in their own way and have  different ways to communicate makes the world a diverse and unique place to live in. 

Thank you for reading chapter 4, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.

Abbie xx