There are many challenges that face those living with disabilities. One of the most frustrating is how other people behave. They don’t know the right thing to do, and in turn either become awkward, embarrassed, infantilising, or even rude. Normalising disabilities and educating everyone, starting with children and the youth, will help everyone treat others better.

While of course, each person has their own preferences in how they want to be treated and how they like others to respond, knowledge and understanding will help improve the experiences of disabled people everywhere.

There are too many disabilities to name, with many being invisible, rather than visible. While this one guide cannot cover everything, it is important that people learn more about the support tools available for disabled persons to help them lead more independent lives.


Starting with Education Reform

The best place to begin is with education reform. Not only should students learn about the various causes behind visible disabilities, but also the different ways a disability can manifest. Someone who uses a mobility scooter may have some control over their legs, for example. Informing everyone of common wheelchair etiquette helps reduce the number of mistakes or rude behaviour that occurs.

Learning how key tools work and are used can also help the disabled community. From knowing how to use mobility scooter battery chargers to places where you can buy them, such as Discount Scooters, there are many different ways to teach students about the most common tools — mobility or otherwise.

One very important factor to take note of is that the curriculum needs to be created and led by the communities that it references. There won’t be a single best approach, but the information will always be more accurate and as a result, better understood when it is designed by those living with these disabilities.

The Human Library Concept

The Human Library is a charity concept that encourages communication that can work wonders in the classroom. Working with disabled advocates, schools can start to bring speakers and motivation coaches into their classrooms. Not only will this put a face to what they have learned, but it is a great way to inspire any students living with similar circumstances.

Listening directly to someone who can clearly articulate bad behaviour and how to be more empathetic, is a great way to get kids to understand others better. This way, it isn’t just something they’ve seen in a textbook or another thing to be tested on.

Don’t Stop There

Mobility is just one example. Truly every disability and underprivileged background deserves more understanding from today’s youth. They are the ones whose minds are still forming, and by learning more about others and that, really, we are all more similar than we may initially think, we can start building a future that is more accessible and kinder to all.

Give young people the tools to learn on their own, so they can continue to learn and meet those different from them halfway.