March is Disability Awareness Month - How are you spreading the News?

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Disability tipsheet

March is Disability

Awareness Month

Speaking of

disabilities.

" People first " is the most important principle in communicating with

and about people with disabilities, said Vicki Pappas, director of the Center

for Planning and Policy Studies at the Indiana Institute on Disability and

Community. This standard applies in a literal sense when describing people --

" person with autism " is appropriate; " autistic person " is

not -- and in a figurative sense when interacting with someone who has a

disability. " People with disabilities would prefer to be seen as people,

not as objects of pity or as heroes who have overcome adversity, " she said.

" When you meet someone who has a disability, say hello, make eye contact,

and give yourself time to get to know that person like you would with any new

acquaintance. " Below are more of Pappas's tips for effective

communication.

DO use person-first language, especially

in print. Regardless of the particular disability, put the person before

the condition in every description. For example: " man who has

cerebral palsy, " " girl who is deaf, " " teacher with

epilepsy. "

DON'T mention a disability if it is not

relevant. " If you are writing an article about a professor's

research, and that person happens to use a wheelchair, you don't need to

mention it unless it relates somehow to the research process. This is just

the same principle you would use in deciding whether to mention that

someone is Jewish or Latino, " Pappas said.

DO use specific terminology. If it is

important to describe a person's disability, be straightforward and avoid

terminology like " handicapable, " " differently abled "

or " special. " This type of verbiage comes across as

condescending, Pappas said.

DON'T make someone a hero for an ordinary

feat. Avoid characterizing everyday activities as huge accomplishments for

people with disabilities. " I'm all for including a bride with hearing

loss in a wedding special, but when the headline is 'Deaf Woman Gets

Married,' that's insulting, " Pappas said.

DO greet people at their eye level. When

talking with a person who uses a wheelchair, it is appropriate to sit or

crouch down in order to talk face-to-face, Pappas said. " Even if you

are speaking through an interpreter, it's important to make that direct

eye contact, " she said. Similarly, it is best to approach a person

who is blind by announcing your presence.

DON'T worry about common phrases. " It is

not a big deal if you say 'See you later' to someone who is blind. No one

is going to be offended by these types of expressions. Relax and use your

natural manner of speaking, " she said.

DO respect personal space. " It's okay

to offer assistance in a polite manner such as holding a door open. Beyond

that it is best to ask first rather than to rush in and grab a person who

appears to be struggling, " Pappas said. A final note on personal space:

a wheelchair should be approached as though it were part of the body --

don't sit or lean on someone's wheelchair unless you know them very well.

Pappas can be reached

at 812-855-6508 or pappas@....

Siblings of children

with disabilities. Non-disabled children may feel overlooked when much of

the family's time is devoted to caring for a child with a disability.

" Often, siblings are dealing with emotions that are difficult to talk

about such as guilt, jealousy and feelings of inadequacy, " said Sharon

Hauss, a family support specialist with the Indiana Institute on Disability and

Community. " Being aware of the needs of siblings can help improve relationships

and the whole family's peace of mind, " she said. Below are her tips on

helping siblings feel included and valued.

Keep siblings informed. " Parents

can help reduce stress and anxiety by keeping siblings in the loop about

their brother's or sister's disability and being willing to answer their

children's questions, " Hauss said.

Encourage emotional expression. " It may be

difficult for children to express their worries and fears about their

sibling's disability. It can take a lot of courage to bring up the topic

and reveal their feelings about it. It's important to be supportive when

siblings want to talk, even if they have negative things to say, " she

said.

Let siblings choose whether to be involved in

caregiving.

" Often, siblings of children with disabilities want to help and be

involved with meeting the needs of a sibling with a disability. It is

important that siblings feel included -- but they should not be forced to

take on the role of caregiver, " she said.

Attention and rewards. Remember to

acknowledge milestones and achievements for children without disabilities.

Sometimes the accomplishments of children without disabilities go

unnoticed because normal development is expected, Hauss said, but

celebrating and rewarding progress is important for all children. She

noted that one-on-one time with parents also is essential.

Make connections with other siblings. " Sometimes

the best support is found by making connections with others in similar

situations. Siblings may find it easier to talk about their concerns and

feelings with others who have siblings with disabilities, " she said.

Computer-savvy kids can check out the Sibkids Listerv, an online resource

to help young siblings of children with disabilities connect with one

another: http://www.siblingsupport.org/connect/index_html.

A more in-depth

resource on this topic is available from the IIDC at http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/family/SibPerspect.html.

Hauss can be reached at 812-855-7037 or sahauss@....

Transitioning to

adulthood.

Families of children with disabilities need to think ahead about life after

high school, said Grossi, director of the Center on Community Living and

Careers at Indiana University's Indiana Institute on Disability and Community.

" Losing the structure of the school system can be extremely difficult for

families of children with disabilities, so it is crucial to consider what the

next step will be and what kind of supports your individual child will

need, " she said. Below are her suggestions on planning for each child's

transition to adulthood.

A vision of the future. " Start

thinking early about where your child will be in the years after high

school, " Grossi said. " Will he or she be going on to a two-year

or four-year institution, or transitioning directly into a the workplace?

Will significant, ongoing supports be necessary or will occasional

guidance from a counselor be enough? Once you have the vision, you can

start 'backward planning' -- thinking about what it takes to prepare for

each milestone until you can identify a first step you can take

today. "

Never too early to start planning. Waiting lists

for adult support programs are incredibly long. Grossi advises applying

for these state supports when a child enters preschool or early elementary

school to improve the odds that funding and supports will be accessible

when the student finishes high school.

Dream big. " Encourage your child's

interests and dreams. Instead of saying that a goal is unrealistic, give

your child the tools to research what it takes to achieve that goal and

evaluate whether it is within reach. " Grossi used the example of a

child who dreams of being a veterinarian. " Help your child look up

the curriculum for a veterinary degree and what sort of prerequisites he

or she would need to take in high school. It may turn out that these

subjects are not strong points for your child, but that opens the door to

look into other job opportunities that involve working with animals, and

starting to identify the type of supports and accommodations that may be

needed. " Grossi also advised ensuring that students explore a variety

of options before choosing one career path.

Self-determination skills. Parents can

encourage independence and self-sufficiency by helping children build

" self-determination " skills, Grossi said. This attribute

incorporates abilities in problem-solving, decision-making, goal setting

and self-advocacy. " Building self-determination starts at a very

young age by giving your child responsibilities, such as household chores

and decision-making roles. It also involves making sure your child

understands his or her disability and knows how to ask for supports. In

many cases, by high school age it is appropriate for the child to take

over the role of talking to the teacher about classroom accommodations. "

Consider the culture. " When we

think about what we expect from young adults with disabilities, it's

important to consider how young adults without disabilities are doing in

terms of achieving independence and finding meaningful employment, "

Grossi said. " In our culture, in general, it's taking students longer

to finish college, longer to achieve financial independence and longer to

move out of their parents' homes. We should be careful not to place

unreasonably high expectations on children with disabilities when the

larger cultural trend is toward an extended adolescence. "

Grossi is also a

professor of special education in IU's School of Education. She can be reached

at 812-855-6508 or tgrossi@....

Students tackle issues

of discrimination at new Disability Law Clinic. Poor people with

disabilities face a number of challenges to full participation in society.

Often, they are forced to deal with advocates, bureaucrats and decision makers

who are insensitive to -- or fearful or ignorant of -- their individual

situations and needs, according to Carwina Weng, associate clinical professor

at the Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington. Weng also directs the law

school's newly established Disability Law Clinic. At the new clinic, which

began this semester, students are learning to work with individual clients and

disability rights groups to address issues of discrimination and to access

benefits and services designed to assist poor people with disabilities. The Disability

Law Clinic provides a structured educational and work experience to second- and

third-year law students interested in working with people with disabilities.

Students are assigned to be the primary case handlers for their clients and

engage in all stages of case development, from intake to appeals. They help to

address the dual problems of poverty and disability by helping low-income

clients obtain or maintain Social Security and Medicaid disability benefits.

They're also figuring out answers to key questions facing poor people with

disabilities, Weng said, such as " How can [poor people with disabilities]

get needed health care without insurance? How can they prove entitlement to

disability benefits without medical records? How can they afford food, clothing

and shelter without a job? " Weng came to Indiana Law from Boston College

where she served as a clinical professor at the Legal Assistance Bureau in Waltham,

Mass. Prior to her position at Boston College, she was a staff attorney at

Greater Boston Legal Services. There, she worked with the domestic violence

programs at six area hospitals, supervised a divorce work group and represented

victims of domestic violence in abuse prevention and family law litigation. She

can be reached at 812-855-9809 or wengc@....

Larry JJ Schaaf, M.S.

Project Coordinator / Research Associate

Center on Community

Living and Careers

Indiana Institute on

Disability and Community

at Indiana University, Bloomington

2853 East Tenth Street

Bloomington,

IN 47408-2696

Phone: (812) 855-6508

TTY: (812) 855-9396

Fax: (812) 855-9630

http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/cclc

http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/training