The length of the line of passengers never diminishes, despite the work being done. In the midst of this crowd, you are confronted with a passenger who does not put her bag on the counter as you have asked her to do. Do not jump to the conclusion that this passenger is uncooperative and trying to make a difficult situation more so for you. She might be a traveller with an invisible disability, such as a hearing or cognitive disability, who has not received the information which others often take for granted. Perhaps your view of her cane or guide dog has been obstructed by the service counter. Perhaps she is a person in a wheelchair who cannot reach up to the counter. Don’t succumb to the pressure of the situation. Take the time to determine why this passenger has not conformed to the standard procedure. Maybe it’s a person with a disability for whom the standard procedure is an obstacle.
When in doubt, particularly if the traveller with a disability seems to be confused or under stress, politely ask “How may I be of assistance to you?” and identify yourself as a transportation provider’s representative. It is important to identify yourself because the person may not be able to see your uniform or name badge and therefore may not accept your help because she or he thinks it is being offered by an untrained but well meaning fellow passenger. A person with a disability will appreciate the gesture and either decline or accept your offer of assistance since she or he is the person most knowledgeable about her or his disability. You will need to ascertain how much and what type of help is preferred and you should be prepared to provide a great deal of assistance to one person with a disability and perhaps not as much, if any, to the next person with a similar disability.
Always state what you are about to do. Having a hot cup of coffee cup placed in one’s hand can be a shock. Also, there is no need to shout or speak differently to a person with a disability. Always speak directly to a person with a disability and not through that person’s companion, if one is present. The “companion” may simply be another passing traveller who has stopped to exchange pleasantries. Attendants, escorts or interpreters assist disabled persons — they do not make decisions for or represent persons with disabilities.
If you notice that a person is not responding to your voice or to the announcements emanating from the public address system, get her or his attention by discreetly waving your hand or tapping her or him on the shoulder. This is a common approach deaf people use to get each other’s attention and it is as natural as a hearing person’s “Excuse me…”.
A few deaf people read lips well enough to carry on a comfortable conversation. A majority do not. At best, only 25 to 40 percent of words spoken can be lipread, so this is a limited means of communication. Most deaf people prefer to communicate with a pad and pencil for the sake of accuracy. Gestures, sign language, fingerspelling, facial expressions, etc. are other means of relaying messages. If a deaf person does not seem comfortable reading your lips, use a pad and pencil.
If you are guiding a blind person, let that individual take your arm, or, if the person has limited guiding vision or a guide dog, walk beside you. The person will be using your body as a guide. Describe the surroundings and provide an indication of potential obstacles such as stairs, partitions, open doors, or overhanging objects. If you are giving a blind person documents, explain what they are, when they will be needed and provide assistance in completing customs forms and other similar documents. You may be asked to provide aircraft, food tray, or terminal facility orientation to a blind person. The verbal picture you paint is as important as a glance. Use the image of a clock to provide direction, for example, “Your salad is in the top left hand corner of the tray at approximately 11 o’clock”. When you leave, always tell a blind person that you are going. There’s nothing worse than to be talking to yourself in public.
If you tell a person with disability that you will return in ten minutes, even if the flight is delayed, come back in ten minutes and renew the contact. Never forget a commitment to a traveller with a disability and keep her or him informed of any changes as they occur. During the waiting period it is also helpful to tell the traveller with a disability how to find a transportation company representative should assistance be required in between your contacts.
Persons who use wheelchairs prefer to remain in their own chairs as long as possible as these chairs are often custom-fitted. Furthermore, many wheelchair users prefer to perform seat transfers in private to avoid public attention.
You Can make a difference.