Air Carrier Access Act Technical Assistance Manual (2005)

Chapter 7: Interacting with People with Disabilities

When assisting and interacting with individuals with disabilities, you should use language that gives an accurate, positive view of them. You should focus on the person first, not the disability, and avoid language that reinforces myths, stereotypes, and discrimination.

Below is a chart listing some currently acceptable terminology and terminology to avoid when addressing or referring to people with disabilities.

It may not be apparent whether a person is an individual with a disability. You should provide an opportunity for a passenger to self-identify as an individual with a disability by asking if the person needs assistance and, if so, how best you can assist with those needs. Keep in mind that you cannot require an individual with a disability to accept special services, including pre-boarding.

Some Examples of Physical Impairments [Sec. 382.5(a)(1)]:

• Orthopedic impairment;

• Deafness (profound hearing loss);

• Hard of hearing (mild to profound hearing loss);

• Vision impairment and blindness;

• Speech disorder;

• Cerebral palsy;

• Epilepsy;

• Muscular dystrophy;

• Multiple sclerosis;

• Cancer;

• Heart disease; and

• Diabetes.

Some Examples of Mental or Psychological Impairments [Sec. 382.5(a)(2)]:

• Mental retardation;

• Depression;

• Anxiety disorders;

• Specific learning disabilities; and

• Brain injury.

Below is a list of general tips to consider when interacting with people with disabilities followed by tips relating to interacting with individuals with one or more of the five basic types of disabilities. These tips are aimed at ensuring that services, facilities, and other accommodations are provided to passengers with disabilities in a respectful and helpful manner.

Some of the tips relate to specific legal requirements, but most of them set forth suggestions for interacting in a way that would constitute good customer service and demonstrate a sensitivity to the issues concerning passengers with disabilities. The following tips should be read and employed with the above qualification in mind.

General Tips for Interacting with Individuals with Disabilities

• Always ask. The most effective and simplest step for you to take when you are uncertain about a passenger’s needs is to ask, “May I assist you?” or “Please let me know how I can assist you.” A passenger with a disability has the most information about his or her abilities, level of familiarity with the airport and airline, and needs when traveling.

• Appreciate the passenger’s perspective. Take into consideration the extra time and energy that traveling may require for a person with a disability. For example, you should realize that a person with a disability may not have the flexibility and spontaneity to react to unexpected situations. Understand that making adjustments may take more time or may require additional attention or services for passengers with a disability.

• Be yourself and be self-aware. It is important to relax, be yourself, and maintain the conversational style you would use for anyone else when you are speaking with a person with a disability. Be aware of the possibility that your body language could convey discomfort or impatience; try to avoid this. Also, respect the privacy of individuals with disabilities. Asking about a person’s disability can be perceived as intrusive and insensitive. It might be interpreted as placing the disability above the human being.

• Don’t make assumptions. Don’t assume that all individuals with a disability automatically need assistance. Keep in mind that if the setting is accessible, individuals with a disability would usually prefer to operate independently.

• Emotions matter. Acknowledge the emotions of the person in a stressful situation, e.g., frustration or disappointment. When acknowledging the emotions of others, it may be more effective to use “you” rather than “I.” For example, use, “You must be frustrated by having to wait for your checked wheelchair.” Not, “I completely understand how you feel, I had to wait forever at a supermarket check-out yesterday.”

• Focus on the person, not the disability. The emphasis is on the person first, not the disability.

• Keep the passenger informed. When providing an accommodation to a passenger with a disability, keep the passenger updated about the progress or timing in connection with such accommodation.

• Knowledge is useful. Be aware of the services, information, and resources available to a person with a disability who asks about a particular accommodation. If you don’t know the answer to the question, treat the individual with respect and courtesy and say, “Let me find out for you.” Don’t make guesses about what accommodations or services to provide a person with a disability. When explaining requirements under the law to a passenger with a disability, avoid rendering legal advice or counseling the person in any way.

• The passenger is the expert. Offer assistance only if the passenger appears to need help. If the passenger asks for help, ask how you can assist and listen to the passenger’s response and instructions before you act. If you have any doubts as to how to assist a passenger with a disability, you should ask the passenger for guidance before acting. Avoid being overly enthusiastic about helping and always think before you speak and act when offering assistance.

• Respect personal space. Be sensitive about physical contact. Avoid patting an individual with a disability or touching the individual’s wheelchair or cane. People with disabilities consider their assistive devices to be part of their personal space.

• Speak directly to the passenger. Always make eye contact and speak directly to a person with a disability, not the person’s companion, attendant, or interpreter.

• Treat each passenger as an individual. It is important to recognize that people with disabilities may vary in their ability to perform certain tasks. Individuals with a disability are best able to assess and gauge what they can and cannot do in a particular situation.

It is always important to keep the above tips in mind when assisting and communicating with passengers with disabilities. As a practical matter though, you will need to be aware of different considerations depending on the type of disability the passenger self-identifies as having.

Below are five basic types of disabilities with a list of considerations to keep in mind when you are communicating with and accommodating passengers with each type of disability. Even though these five types of disabilities are set forth here, each passenger with a disability should be considered as an individual with individual needs. It is important for you to communicate with each passenger about that particular passenger’s needs under the circumstances and to avoid making assumptions about the passenger’s needs. The five basic types of disabilities addressed below are: People who are blind or visually-impaired; people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind; people with mobility disabilities; people who have difficulty speaking, and people with disabilities that are not apparent (e.g., a cognitive or emotional disability, diabetes, etc.).

Tips for Assisting People Who Are Blind or Visually-Impaired

Communication

• Only offer assistance if it seems appropriate. Ask the person if you can be of assistance and, if so, how you can help.

• Identify yourself by name and job responsibility first.

• Always communicate using words rather than relying on gestures, facial expressions, or other nonverbal communication. For example, tell the passenger the gate number and the directions to get to the gate. If you are handing a boarding pass to a blind passenger, explain that you have the person’s boarding pass and that you would like to place it directly in the person’s hand. Always communicate in words what you are doing, e.g., waiting to receive confirmation of a reservation, and identify any items you are giving to the passenger, e.g., a credit card, tickets, voucher, etc.

• Make sure a passenger who is blind is made aware of all relevant information as it becomes available to all passengers. For example, if a boarding time is changed and the new boarding time is posted visually at the gate, you must inform the person orally. Advise the passenger when you are leaving the area and answer any questions the person has before you do.

• If individual safety briefings are required, conduct them discreetly with respect for the privacy of the person who is blind or visually-impaired.

• If a person uses a term relating to the condition of being blind or visually-impaired that you are not familiar with or that you don’t understand, ask the person to tell you what his or her needs are. If you need additional information, you should contact the CRO to discuss how best to proceed. In addition, be aware that your carrier may provide additional training to educate you about the different types of disabilities in order to enhance your ability to accommodate passengers with disabilities.

• Keep in mind that the special service request (SSR) field of the passenger name record (PNR) may contain information concerning a passenger who is blind or visually impaired.

Guiding a Person

• Never take the arm of a person who is blind without asking first, because the person could lose balance. In addition, if you don’t ask first, the person who is blind could perceive a lack of respect because he or she was not given the option of receiving the assistance. Once you ask if you can offer your arm, let the person who is blind take it. You may direct the person’s arm to a railing or the back of a chair to assist with seating.

• Walk approximately a half step ahead of the person if you are serving as a guide through the terminal. When encountering stairs, escalators, moving walkways, revolving doors, etc., give the person who is blind the option to choose whether to use the facility or conveyance. For example, you might say, “We can just keep walking or use the moving sidewalk. Which would you prefer?” Never assume that a person who is blind cannot use these devices because of blindness. Instead, offer the individual the freedom and flexibility to choose which devices and facilities he or she would like to use. Describe the environment in detail as you go and ask the person if he or she would like you to point out airport amenities such as restaurants, shops, ATM machines, restrooms, airline club lounges, displays, or other terminal facilities. Note any obstacles and their location in your path. If you need to provide a warning, be as specific as possible. Offer to orient the person to the gate or other terminal area in case he or she would like to walk around, e.g., you could say, “All even numbered gates are on our right when walking from security and odd numbered gates are on the left.”

• When you are done guiding the person to his or her destination, ask him or her if any other assistance is needed. Only if the person who is blind has requested should you inform other passengers or carrier personnel of the individual’s need for additional assistance.

• Be aware that many people who are blind prefer to walk rather than use wheelchairs, electric carts, etc. You may not require a person who is blind to use a wheelchair and, if requested, you must provide a walking guide for the person who is blind.

Service Animals and Assistive Devices

• Never pet or distract a service animal accompanying a person who has a disability. Don’t separate passengers who are blind from their service animals.

• Don’t move a person’s cane or assistive device if the person has placed it on the ground near a seat. If you ask and receive permission, you may help the passenger collect things if need be, e.g., carry-on items, jackets.

Tips for Assisting People Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Deaf-Blind

Communication

• Remember that people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind have various ways of communicating, e.g., sign language, speech/lip reading, TTY, hearing aid or implant. A person’s deafness can go unnoticed unless the person self-identifies as a person who is deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind.

• When speaking, look directly at the person who is deaf or hard of hearing. The person may use speech/lip reading as a method of communicating. Use normal lip movement. Use a normal tone of voice when speaking to a person who is deaf or hard of hearing. Don’t shout because shouting distorts the sound, words, and lip movement. Sometimes you may need to rephrase your message because many words have the same lip movement, e.g., 15 and 50 have the same lip movement. If writing a note, make the message short and simple.

• Identify yourself by name and job responsibility first.

• If individual safety briefings are required, conduct them discreetly with respect for the privacy of the person who is deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind.

• Make sure a passenger who is deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind receives all relevant information as it becomes available to all passengers. For example, if a boarding time is changed and the new boarding time is announced, you must inform the person through an accessible method of communicating.

• If a person uses a term relating to the condition of being deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind that you are not familiar with or that you don’t understand, ask the person to tell you what his or her needs are. If you need additional information, you should contact the CRO to discuss how best to proceed.

• A deaf-blind person may communicate through the printing on palm method, an alternative to using sign language. This method involves “writing” with your fingertip on the palm of the deaf-blind person’s hand. Use the fleshy part of your fingertip, not your nail. Always use all upper case letters and use the same reference point for each letter. More specifically, hold the deaf-blind person’s hand the same way each time, so the top and bottom letter falls in the same place. Make sure the words you print are “right side up” for the person receiving the message. Write as large as possible and start in the upper left for a “W” and finish in the upper right. Use the entire palm area for each letter. Use one stroke for both the letter “I” and the number “1”. The difference will be obvious from the context of what you are spelling. When you finish a word, “wipe it off” using the palm of your hand. This action indicates that you have finished one word and you are beginning a new word.

• Keep in mind that the special service request (SSR) field of the passenger name record (PNR) may contain information concerning a passenger who is deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind.

Guiding a Person Who is Deaf-Blind

• Touch the person gently and offer your arm. Let the person take your upper arm near your body; this way he or she can feel the change in gait as you approach different barriers and prepare for them. Don’t take or grab the arm of the person who is deaf-blind (particularly the arm with which the person is holding a cane or guide dog harness) and don’t push him or her along. If the person has a guide dog, go to the side opposite the service animal and offer your arm (usually the person’s right side).

• Remember the person who is deaf-blind cannot hear you. Therefore, information regarding obstacles, stairs, etc. must be given tactually. Deaf-blind people often have poor balance so it is helpful to offer a steady hand to aid in orientation. Never leave a deaf-blind person in an open space, place his or her hand on a wall, post, railing, or whatever is available.

Service Animals

• Never pet or distract a service animal accompanying a person who has a disability. Don’t separate passengers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind from their service animals.

Tips for Assisting People Who Have Mobility Disabilities

Communication

• If a person uses a term to describe a mobility disability that you are not familiar with or that you don’t understand, ask the person to tell you what his or her needs are. If you need additional information, you should contact the CRO to discuss how best to proceed.

• If individual safety briefings are required, conduct them discreetly with respect for the privacy of the person with a mobility disability.

• When having a long conversation with a person who is using a wheelchair, stoop down or sit nearby so that you are closer to eye level.

Wheelchairs and Other Assistive Devices

• Be aware of the types of wheelchairs and assistive devices used by people with mobility disabilities when traveling. You must be able to provide information to people about the different types of wheelchairs, services, and other equipment provided or accommodated by your carrier on the particular flight.

• Understand the proper function and storage of the different types of wheelchairs and assistive devices. Ask the person with the mobility disability the best way to handle the device.

• Consider keeping information handy about businesses providing wheelchair repair in the area in case a person with a mobility disability needs the information.

Assisting with Transfers and Movement through Terminal

• If you must transfer a person with a mobility disability from an aisle chair to a seat on the aircraft, or perform any other kind of transfer, explain the transfer procedures and listen to any instructions or preferences from the person before undertaking the transfer.

• Be aware that, under the law, you can never physically hand-carry a person with a mobility disability (even if both of you are willing) except in an emergency evacuation situation.

• When providing transportation between gates, ask the person with the mobility disability if the person would prefer to be pushed or not. If the answer is yes, use elevators and avoid escalators and moving walkways. When maneuvering through the terminal, say, “Excuse us.” Not, “Excuse me.”

• Be aware that, under the law, carriers are not permitted to charge passengers with disabilities for services or equipment required by part 382. If, however, a passenger with a disability voluntarily offers to tip you for providing a service, you should consult your carrier’s policy to determine whether you can accept it.

Service Animals

• Never pet or distract a service animal accompanying a person who has a mobility disability. Don’t separate passengers with a mobility disability from their service animals.

Tips for Assisting People Who Have Difficulty Speaking

Communication

• Ask the person how he or she prefers to communicate.

• A pencil and paper may be okay for short conversations.

• If you do not understand something that is said, tell the person you don’t understand and ask the person to repeat.

• Be patient, it may take a while to communicate.

• Let the individual speak without attempting to finish his or her sentence.

• To obtain information quickly, ask short questions that require brief “yes” or “no” answers.

• Don’t shout.

• Difficulty speaking does not indicate a lack of intelligence.

Tips for Assisting People Who Have Disabilities that are Not Apparent

Communication

• Do not make assumptions about the needs of people if their behavior appears to be unusual to you. Cognitive disabilities may cause people to reason, draw conclusions, or respond more slowly. People with cognitive disabilities may appear easily distracted. Depending upon the disability, the person may understand materials in written form or through a verbal explanation. They may also find the background noise of a busy airport terminal extremely distracting.

• Disregard any speech impairments or physical tics by being patient and aware of your own body language and facial expressions that could convey your own discomfort.

• If individual safety briefings are required, conduct them discreetly with respect for the privacy of the person with a disability that is not apparent. Similarly, if there is a concern that the person is not medically stable enough for air travel, conduct the inquiry in a discreet manner and involve the CRO, if necessary.

• If a person with a disability that is not apparent uses a term to describe a disability that you are not familiar with or that you don’t understand, ask the person to tell you what his or her needs are. If you need additional information, you should contact the CRO to discuss how best to proceed.

Service and Emotional Support Animals

• Be aware that people who have disabilities that are not apparent may travel with emotional support animals or other service animals. Never pet or distract a service animal accompanying a person who has a disability that is not apparent. Don’t separate passengers from their service or emotional support animals.