Hospitality for the Disabled
Do’s and Dont’s for People in the Tourism Industry
It can be tricky to avoid doing more harm than good if you see someone with a disability where it looks like they need help. Most of us want to help others, and if you work in hospitality, that is part of your job.
The problem is often you don’t know exactly what is going on as far as what the particular handicap someone is dealing with.
In my experience, I can walk, but not very well. You probably can’t see that my sense of balance is very poor. I carry a cane in my right hand while my left arm is spastic and out of my control.
It might appear I am reaching out for your help with my left hand, but in fact it is just having a spasm. I usually have to ask people to not touch my left arm because doing so might cause me to fall. I feel bad refusing the kindness of strangers, but I often have to for my own safety.
I once was walking down steps of a tour bus in Canada when a young man tried to get his arms under mine to help me down the steps. It didn’t go well. I ended up on my ass on the ground. I was unhurt, but that was just lucky.
The mistake he made was not asking me how I needed help. This is perhaps the biggest key to assisting those with disabilities: Don’t assume you know what to…
