Guidance on Interacting with People with Disabilities

Some people are uncomfortable talking with people with disabilities. This article gives you some basic tips to help you be more comfortable interacting with people with disabilities, and to help people with disabilities more enjoy interacting with you.

First, let's look at the reasons that some people are uncomfortable with people with disabilities. One reason is that some people feel sorry for people with disabilities, and assume that they are bitter about their disabilities. This is untrue in many cases. Lots of people with disabilities feel that their lives are enriched by their experiences with disability, and even if given the chance to erase their disability would choose not to.

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Another reason that some people are uncomfortable around people with disabilities is that they're afraid that they will "say the wrong thing". However, that's not a big deal to most people with disabilities. What's important is that you respect the person and see them beyond their disability.

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One basic question many people have is: What is appropriate terminology, for example, disability, impairment, or handicap? When you're working with someone, you can ask what terminology he or she prefers. When you're speaking in public or writing, you'll need to do a little research to ensure that you use widely-accepted terminology and avoid potentially offensive terminology. There are some guidelines later in this chapter.

The most important thing to know when interacting with people with disabilities is that they are people. And just like all people, they are very different, including being different in how they are with disability issues.
Some people prefer different terms, some get very upset about terminology, and some don't care. Some people get very upset about accessibility barriers and lash out at those responsible; some are very patient with accessibility barriers and are appreciative and supportive of people and organizations that are trying to fix barriers.

Some people really appreciate the opportunity to talk about their disability and educate people about accessibility issues, and others don't like to talk about it at all. After you know someone a little, you might ask, "I'm curious about your using a wheelchair. Are you comfortable talking about it, or would you prefer not to?"

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The rest of this article provides specific

Don't make assumptions about people or their disabilities. Don't assume you know what someone wants, what he feels, or what is best for him. If you have a question about what to do, how to do it, what language or terminology to use, or what assistance to offer, ask him. That person should be your first and best resource.

Remember that people with disabilities have different preferences. Just because one person with a disability prefers something one way doesn't mean that another person with the same disability also prefers it that way.

Ask before you help. Before you help someone, ask if she would like help. In some cases a person with a disability might seem to be struggling, yet she is fine and would prefer to complete the task on her own. Follow the person's cues and ask if you are not sure what to do. Don't be offended if someone declines your offer of assistance.


Talk directly to the user, not to the interpreter, attendant, or friend. You don't need to ignore the others entirely; just make sure to focus your interaction with the user. When a user who is deaf has an interpreter, the user will look at the interpreter as you are talking. It might take a little extra effort to remember to face the user rather than the interpreter.

If you will be speaking for some time with a person in a wheelchair, sit down so that you are at eye level with her so she doesn't have to strain her neck to look up at you.

Speak normally. Some people have a tendency to talk louder and slower to people with disabilities; don't. Don't assume that because a person has one disability, that he also has a cognitive disability or is hard of hearing. For example, a person with cerebral palsy might use a wheelchair, have uncontrolled upper body movements, have difficulty speaking, and yet have very good hearing, cognitive abilities, and intelligence.
Use normal language including "see" and "look." It's fine to use common phrases such as, "Do you see what I mean?" even to people who are blind. People who are blind often make comments such as, "I can't find what I'm looking for," and "I don't see it on this [web page] page."

Use "people-first" language when referring to people with disabilities. People-first language means put the person first and the disability second. For example, say "a man who is blind" rather than "a blind man," and "a woman who uses a wheelchair" instead of "a wheelchair-bound woman." Use people-first language when speaking with people with disabilities, and when speaking and writing about people with disabilities.

Avoid potentially offensive terms or euphemisms. Commonly accepted terminology includes "people
with disabilities" and "a person with a visual/hearing/physical/speech/cognitive impairment." Many people find annoying or offensive: restricted to a wheelchair, victim of, suffers from, retarded, deformed, crippled, and euphemisms such as physically challenged. If you are unsure, ask the person with a disability what terminology he prefers.

Be aware of personal space. Some people who use a mobility aid, such as a wheelchair, walker, or cane, see these aids as part of their personal space. Don't touch, move, or lean on mobility aids. This is also important for safety.

Recete

 Etrafinizda cogu kez tanik oldugunuz bir durumu dile getirmek istiyorum bugun. Bazen etrafinizdaki insanlarin cocugunuzu, arkadasinizi, yada yakin bir akrabanizi sozlu olarak olmasada davranislariyla 'oteki' kategorisine koyduguna sahit olmussunuzdur. Cok rahatsiz edici bir durumdur bu sizin icin. Tabi bu durumu yaratan kisi icinde. Bazilarimiz engelli bireyleri gordugumuzde konusurken, yada onlarla herhangi bir iletisim icindeyken kendini rahat hissetmez. Bu yaziyi yazarken, bu durumu nasil duzeltebilecegimize dair sizlere ipuclari vermeye calisacagim.

Oncelikle neden engelli biriyle iletisim icindeyken rahatsizlik hissederiz sorusuna cevap bulmaya calisalim. Nedenlerimizin ilki bizden farkli olan bu birey icin, kendimizi uzgun hissetmemiz ve engeli olan kisinin bu durumundan oturu uzuldugunu, rahatsizlik duydugunu varsaymamiz. Bu aslinda cogu kez dogru olmayan bir varsayim. Engelli olmanin hayati kisitlamak, kendini eve hapsetmek icin bir yeterli bir neden olmadiginin bircogu farkinda, ve bunu bir deneyim olarak gorup bizler gibi hayatlarina devam ediyorlar.

 Diger bir sebep bazilarimizin 'Acaba yanlis birsey soylermiyim?' ,korkusu. Buda aslinda bizim uydurma korkumuz. Cogu zaman engelli bireyler boyle bir durumla karsilastiginda olgunlukla karsilayabilmekte. Tabiki sizin kendisine saygi gosterdigini, ve engelinin arkasindaki esas "ben" i tanimaya calistiginizin farkindaysa.


Diger bir sebep bazilarimizin 'Acaba yanlis birsey soylermiyim?' ,korkusu. Buda aslinda bizim uydurma korkumuz. Cogu zaman engelli bireyler boyle bir durumla karsilastiginda olgunlukla karsilayabilmekte. Tabiki sizin kendisine saygi gosterdigini, ve engelinin arkasindaki esas "ben" i tanimaya calistiginizin farkindaysa.

Bazilarimizin aklina su soru gelebilir: peki engelli birine nasil yaklasmamiz gerekir? Aklimizdan cikarmamiz gereken ilk sey onlarinda bizler gibi "insan, birey" oldugu. Bedensel farkliliklari bizlerden farkli olduklari anlamina gelmez. Diger bir nokta varsayimlardan uzak durmamiz. Eger engelli birine herhangi bir sorunuz varsa, varsayimda bulunmak yerine direk merak ettiginiz noktayi sorun. Mesela, engelli is arkadasinizla ilk is gununde eliniz ayaginizami dolasti. Ne diyeceginizi, ne soyleyeceginizi bilemediniz mi? Nazik bir sekilde herhangi bir yardim isteyip istemediginizi, yada bazi terimlerin kullanilmasindan rahatsizlik duyup duymayacagini sorabilirsiniz. Belki is arkadasiniz engelli lafini duymak istemiyordur.

Engelli birine yardim etmeden evvel yardima ihtiyaci olup olmadigini sormakta bir diger noktamiz. Eger yardima ihtiyacini olmadigini soyleyip, sizin teklifinizi redderse herhangi bir reaksiyonda gostermeyin. Belki yapmasi gereken bir isi yapmasi normalden daha fazla vakit alacak, ama bu kisinin kendisinin bu isi yapamayacagi anlamina gelmez. Unutmayin! Engelli biriyle konusurken herkesle konusur gibi rahat konusun. Eger sohbet ettiginiz kisi tekerli sandalyede oturuyorsa sizde goz hizasina gelecek sekilde oturup, sohbet edin. Hem karsinizdakini yormamis, hemde kisiyle olan etkilesiminizi arttirmis olacaksiniz. Eger genel soylemleri kullanmaniz gerekiyorsa. (Orneigin gorme engelli biriyle konusurken, "her tarafa baktim ama goremedim' gibi bir soylem kullanmaniz).

Engelli biriyle etkilesim icindeyken engelli etiketini on siraya koymayin.( tekerlekli sandalyeli cocuk diye degil, cocuk diye kisiyi algilayin).

Hey Science Teachers

Ne yapacagim diye soranlar icin yaratici bir video.

   

PS: Language kismina tiklayip Turkce metne ulasabilirsiniz.

Davranis Kontrolu

Bugunku yazimi her ne kadar ogretmen odakli yazsam da, kendi cocuklariniz icinde bu yontemi uyarlayabileceginizi dusunuyorum.
  
Ogrencilerinizi sizin degilde, kendilerinin kendi davranislarini degerlendirmesini isteyebilirsiniz. 

Neye ihtiyaciniz var?

- Degerlendirme tablolari( Her gun icin)

Peki nasil?

Haftalik davranis cizelgesi hazirlayip, ogrencilerinize verin. Her ders bitimi yada her gunun sonunda ogrencinizden bu cizelgelerden birini tamamlamasini isteyin. Eger ogrencinizin davranislari sizin cizelgenizdeki beklentilerinizle uyumlu halde ise ogrencinize bu cizelgeyi vermeyebilirsiniz(Amacimiz ogrencide davranis degisikligi saglamak oldugundan ogrencinizin aliskanliginin degistigine kanaat getirdiginiz anda bu cizelgeyi vermeyebilirsiniz). Cizelgelerin ayrica cocugun velisi tarafindan da imzalanmasini isteyerek veli ile isbirligi icinede girebilirsiniz.

Asagidaki basliklari kullanarak davranis cizelgesi hazirlayabilirsiniz:
- Bugun Sinifa Hazirlanip Geldim
-Ogretmenime Saygiliyim
-Arkadaslarima Saygiliyim
- Odevlerimi Yapiyorum
-Ders Katilimi
-Zamanimi Verimli Kullaniyorum

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As a first year teacher, many of us will face with difficulties while managing our classrooms. With the method that I am gonna describe here, you can allow your students to evaluate their own behavior. These written documents are also perfect clue for parents how good their kinds in the classroom.

Materials:

- Evaluation sheets(one per day)

Method:

-Give students a week's worth of sheets (responsibility is part of the lesson).

-After each class period (or day, depending on how your classroom is set up), the student completes the sheet marking + for following that behavior or a 0 for not following that behavior.

- Student takes sheet up to teacher to be changed (if teacher disagrees), to add comments, and to initial.

-Sheets are to be taken home and signed by guardian.

-This works well with a token economy. Establish rewards for improvement. These can be easily adjusted to meet individual behavior goals.

Example Sheet:

• Came to Class Prepared
• Followed Directions
• Respectful to Teacher
• Respectful to Peers
• Completed Assignments
• Used Time Wisely
• Participated in Class

Sicak ve Soguk

 Sicak ve soguk kavramlarini aciklamak icin bir aktivite tasarlamak istedim bugun.Sicak ve soguk kavramlarini cocugumuza anlatmak icin bugun sicak su torbalari ve soguk su torbalarini kullanacagiz. Bu torbalari online alisveris sitelerinden, medikal urunler satan yerlerden alabilirsiniz.

Malzemelerimizi temin ettikten sonra bir sonraki asamayi sizlere anlatmak istiyorum. Cocugunuza bir problem olusturup, hikayelestirerek anlatabilirsiniz. Benim hikaye problemim:

"Ayse disarida hava sogukken sapkasini ve uzun kollu tisortunu giyiyor. Hava isindiginda ise kisa kollu tisortunu giyiyor."

"Elinizdeki iki resme bakip Ayse nin sicak bir gunde mi, yoksa soguk bir gunde mi disari ciktigini soyleyebilirmisiniz? Bu resimlerden hangisi sicak gune, hangisi soguk bir gune ait? Eger resmin sicak gune ait olduguna karar verdiyseniz sicak su torbasini resmin yanina, soguk gune ait olduguna karar verdiyseniz soguk su torbasini yanina koyunuz."


Aktivitenin ikinci asamasinda (eger tek bir cocukla calisiyorsaniz, siz bu surecte aktif rol oynayacaksiniz) iki farkli takim olusturun: sicak takim, soguk takim. Her bir takima resimler verin. Her takim ferdinin bulunduklari ortama uygun olan resimlerden mumkun oldugunca fazla kesmesini isteyin. 30 dk icinde en fazla resmi toplayan kisininde yarismayi kazanacagini soyleyebilirsiniz. Bazi kurallarida hatirlatmayi unutmayin:
- Mesela ayni resmi kullanamazlar.

Sicak ve Soguk Resimler