Disabilities: What you should give your child
1. how should I behave?
Think about how you would like to be treated yourself. Don't stare at a person with a disability, but don't look away bashfully either. Speak directly to the person and not over their head. If you feel you have to help, ask the person - and don't be offended if they refuse help.
2. how much closeness is okay?
Don't just touch people with disabilities. Their aids are often very important and personal objects. For example, do not put a cane somewhere else and do not place clothing on a wheelchair. If you find a guide dog cute, remember that it is «working» and must not be distracted. So first ask the owner if you are allowed to touch the dog.
What is a disability?
According to the Disability Discrimination Act, people with disabilities are those who have a permanent health problem and are severely or somewhat restricted in the activities of normal everyday life. Disabilities can be congenital or people can acquire them in the course of their lives as a result of accidents, illness or old age.
There are different types of limitations: Certain parts of the body, such as the legs, ears or eyes, may not function properly. The person is then paralysed, deaf or blind, for example. A disability can also be in the brain. In this case, these people cannot speak or learn well, for example. Around 1.7 million people with disabilities live in Switzerland.
3. what am I allowed to say and what not?
Many people with disabilities don't mind if you use common but literally inappropriate phrases, such as «going for a walk» for a wheelchair user or «we hear from each other» for someone who is deaf. The situation is somewhat different with the word «disabled». Some find the term okay, others prefer to be addressed as «people with disabilities». It's best to be as specific as possible, for example by referring to «wheelchair users» or «deaf people».
SRF Kids: How 12-year-old Lyan lives with his visual impairment:
And another fundamental point:
Don't just look at a person's limitations. There is so much more to them: what books they like, that they can sing beautifully, that they like to make jokes. We are all special and unique - each and every one of us has strengths and weaknesses.
