Communicating with Customers with Disabilities

The Accessibility Standard for Customer Service Standard states that all business must communicate with persons with disabilities in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability. Let’s discuss how take into account a person with a Learning Disability.

Learning disabilities are information processing disorders. They can affect how a person acquires, organizes, expresses, retains, understands or uses verbal or non-verbal information. You may not know that a person has a learning disability unless you are told. People with learning difficulties may have problems communicating because they have problems, reading, in mathematics or with writing.

Here are some tips on how to interact with people with a learning disability.

• Patience and a willingness to find a way to communicate are your best tools.
• Speak normally and clearly, and directly to the person.
• Take some time — people with some kinds of learning disabilities may take a little longer to understand and respond.
• Try to find ways to provide information in a way that works best for them.
• Be courteous and patient. The person will let you know how to best provide service in a way that works for them.

What else can you do to help a customer with a learning disability feel more welcomed and served?  Do you know someone with a learning disability??  How can this help you when communicating with them?



If you are interested in learning more about Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) or how to make accessibility a natural part of your business through the application of Corporate Social Responsibility, please contact Sandra Broekhof @ 416-579-1035 or sandra_broekhof@sympatico.ca or visit www.accessibilitycompliance.ca