There is lots and lots of advice floating around cyberspace. We wanted to bring together some of the best tips for those who have friends, colleagues, or neighbors who use a wheelchair. Mainly due to a lack of experience, many people worry about how to act around those with physical disabilities. Certainly the best and most important tip is to simply treat the person as a person. Being in a wheelchair doesn’t define a person. Being in a wheelchair doesn’t remove a person’s need to be respected. So for those who wonder how they should behave, here are the best tips we could collect.

1. Talk at the same level: The proper etiquette to follow is to get down to the same level, as the person you are speaking with. Sit in a chair, on a stool, or crouch down, but do not assume your usual height.

2. Speak directly to the person in the wheelchair rather than to any companion.

3. Don’t make assumptions: Remember most people using wheelchairs are not chronically ill.

4. When first meeting a disabled person, offer to shake hands even if they appear to have limited use of their arms. This action of personal contact breaks the psychological barrier of non-acceptance, and creates a warmer environment for communication.

5. Look at the person when you talk, rather than at the wheelchair.

6. Remember the wheelchair is part of the user’s personal space. Never rest your foot on their wheelchair, or touch their wheelchair unless you have been asked to.

7. Understand the person regards the wheelchair in the same way you think about your car: it is simply a tool for mobility.

8. People using wheelchairs realize children are curious. If a child asks a question you feel is embarrassing, don’t chastise the child. Let the disabled person handle the situation.

9. When talking to a disabled person, try to talk as normally as possible, and do not apologize if you use an expression such as “I must be running along,” or “See you later” if the person as partially sighted. These expressions are part of everyday language, and the apology will probably be more offensive or embarrassing than the expression.

10. Never slap a disabled person on the back or thigh as a goodwill gesture. This can cause the person to loose their balance, or trigger muscle spasms, which can lead to the person falling out of their chair.

When I first had to start using a power wheelchair, it was mostly because of balance problems. My legs had become so weak, I would just tip and teeter all over the place. So I thought my power wheelchair was the answer to my balance issues.

But my physical therapist helped me understand that I still need a good sense of balance to keep me safe even in the power chair. He has designed specific exercises to help me strengthen my core muscles as much as I can to help me still be able to reach for things (as simple as shaking someone’s hand) without feeling like I’ll fall out of my chair. It’s been great.

I was never into the computer that much before I bought my first wheelchair.
Honestly, it intimidated me a little. But when my son helped me get set up on the internet and showed me how to use email, it was such a blessing.

I have more conversations now with my grandkids than I ever did before. My little twelve-year-old granddaughter is such a cutie. She and I forward these silly little jokes we get and just giggle like school girls.

We had to fix my desk up so it was easier for me to sit there in my power wheelchair. But that wasn’t too much work. It’s been great.