Saying the Right Thing - The Role of Language & Etiquette in Disability Inclusion

Introduction

Disability inclusion is an area often referred to as the ‘Cinderella’ of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), being significantly less likely to be focused on than areas such as gender or ethnicity.

Research suggests one of the main reasons for this is people not wanting to ‘say the wrong thing’ when it comes to raising awareness of disability and supporting disabled people, but also not being sure of what the ‘right thing’ to say or do is, and ultimately avoiding the topic to avoid inadvertently causing offence.

However, while understandable, continuing in this way means that the barriers disabled people face and the benefits of disability inclusion often go undiscussed.

Delivered by EDI specialist Jonathan Andrews, this webinar will explore common issues relating to disability etiquette and will discuss the best way to approach different situations so that you do not have to be afraid of doing or saying the ‘wrong thing’.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• Common issues relating to disability etiquette (including issues such as preferred terminology, how and when to begin conversations and in what context)
• Existing resources and their recommendations
• The legal definition of disability and what is covered by the term
• The differences between various kinds of disability and how best to communicate with different people
• The practical impact of language (e.g., how to move from thinking only about negatives to what strengths people have and can bring)
• Steps that can be taken to offer practical assistance or start a conversation (including the importance of adjustments)

This webinar was recorded on 1st August 2022