Attitude Adjustment
by Betty Hunt

Ask yourself the following questions: Do I avoid eye contact when talking with people with disabilities? Do I speak for people with speech or language impairment when they are capable of answering for themselves? Do I avoid touching people with disabilities? Do I hear myself saying, “She can’t do that because she is disabled,” before I have met the person? Do I avoid asking people with disabilities a question because I am afraid it will upset them? Do I feel sorry for people with disabilities? Do I find myself thinking of the disability before I think of the person? Do I find myself speaking of people with disabilities as a group? Example: “Blind people are good in music.”
Think about your “yes” responses. Why do you think you responded as you did? Was it based on fact, information that you heard or childhood experiences?
You might want to read Chapter 2 “Preparing Your Troop or Group” in Focus on Ability. Then seek out factual information by speaking to people with disabilities or their family members. To learn more about a particular disability, search the Web, locate resources from your local library or use the “Resource Information” section of Focus on Ability. Knowledge always conquers ignorance.

Adapted from Focus on Abilities