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Hello, my name is Cari and I’m a teacher with the online English school, Englishdom.com.
Today, I’d like to talk to you about disabilities. What is a disability? Typically, that means
lacking the ability to do something “normally”; but what is “normal” and who decides?
When you meet someone with a disability, how do you react? What do you say? What do you
do? Sometimes we’re familiar with a person, maybe in a wheelchair, but we’re not sure
what to do with someone who’s blind. Sometimes we’re familiar with one disability, but
not another and that can still make us uncomfortable and unsure of ourselves.
Here’s a few tips for what to do if you come across someone with a disability and
you’re not sure what to do… First of all, as my mother always said, “If
you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” It’s better to just
keep quiet ‘n walk away. Secondly, act natural. Treat people the way you want to be treated.
That’s always a good rule. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Most people with disabilities
don’t mind answering questions. They prefer that than having people just staring at them
or snickering behind their hand (like that). Just make sure your questions are polite and
not too intrusive. Look for the abilities that the person has. Maybe someone doesn’t
have legs, but they could be an excellent painter. Or maybe someone is blind but they’re
very intelligent. Try to find the good in others and look for their abilities. And,
most of all, please, don’t use insensitive language or actions or gestures that are offensive
to other people. Whether the person has a disability or not, that’s just rude!
Here’s some phrases that you can use when you’re talking about disabilities.
To beat around the bush. To beat around the bush means you hint or make suggestions about
something you want to know or say. You don’t come directly to the point.
To be used to something. That means you’re accustomed to something; the way that people
are, the way people treat you, the way people act… You might be used to something, but
that doesn’t mean you like it. To give someone a hand means to offer them
help. If you want to offer help to a person with a disability, ask first. It’s very
possible that they just might say, “No thank you, I’m fine. I don’t need your help
today.” Or, they might gladly accept your help. The key is to ask first.
To bad-mouth someone. To bad-mouth someone means that you say negative things about another
person. Maybe they’re true, maybe they’re not, but they’re definitely negative. If
you do that, one day you’re sure to pay the piper. When you pay the piper, that means
you have to answer for your actions; you have to face the consequences of what you’ve
done, both good and bad. The Special Olympics is a great organization
for people with disabilities. It’s not for everyone, but it certainly is, for many people,
a great organization that helps athletes and families. And, if you’re interested, you
certainly can look for more information on the internet. What I’d like to tell you
about is their oath. All of the athletes take an oath before every event. It says, “Let
me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” I think that’s a great
lesson for everybody whether you have a disability or not.
I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about disabilities today. Join us to discuss this
topic in our discussion club or in our forum on our Facebook page.
Feel English and feel free! Goodbye for now.