Take the disability etiquette challenge today
by Elsa
Recent articles about disability etiquette in the US News & World Report and the Chicago Tribune provided awesome tips and expert advice for interacting with people in general, not just those who have disabilities. If everyone were to apply the Golden Rule, our world (middle school especially, yikes) would be immensely better.
For readers who want to take their understanding of disability etiquette one step further, I recommend the Easter Seals Disability Etiquette Challenge. This quiz was crafted by disability etiquette experts — you may just get stumped. The quiz uses everyday situations that those of us who don’t have disabilities might never think twice about.
Say you’re in line for the restroom at a sporting event. The wheelchair accessible stall opens up. No one in line appears to have a disability and you’re next up. Prior to taking the quiz, my natural instinct would be to go for it in hopes I can make it back in time for the halftime show. My reasoning came from observations of what I thought were social norms.
Well it looks like I got stumped! Warning: quiz question spoiler ahead.
Using the accessible stall is not a taboo, so long as you generally ask the line if anyone needs to use it. Our Easter Seals blog moderator Beth Finke was the expert for this particular question. She reminds us that disabilities may not always be immediately visible and says asking never hurts.
This is just one of the many questions in the quiz that challenges us to rethink some of our daily actions. Lessons learned from the quiz can be applied anywhere from basic conversation with a friend to an interaction with a stranger at the grocery store. It’s never too late to fix our bad habits and spread some knowledge.
When I ask the busy restroom line if anyone needs the accessible stall, each person in line will take notice. Some of them will even make use of my action the next time a situation like that comes up for them.
So go ahead, take the quiz and expand your disability etiquette expertise. I already gave you the answer to one question!