Don’t interfere with somebody else’s disability aids

Don’t play with other people’s stuff without asking first, and remind other people to do the same.

Basic etiquette includes:

• Don’t touch somebody else’s mobility or assistive devices
• Don’t push somebody’s wheelchair without explicit consent
• Don’t pet or distract service animals
• If somebody is using an interpreter, talk to the person, not their interpreter

Some people will be more than happy to explain how their tools work, and they often contain some very sophisticated technology. (I was blown away by a demonstration of a finger-sized OCR device recently.) But it’s up to them to decide if they want to talk about it, and what to show you – ask, don’t assume.

If your attendees aren’t familiar with these rules, a reminder might be helpful.