5 Ways to Help Those Who Have a Disability
As a business owner, you want to attract as many customers as possible. But, what if you are able to help in building a better society while also attracting new patrons? It is actually a win for you and everyone else involved. There are many areas in this society to be improved. There are also many ways you can give back to the society. And, helping those with disabilities is one of the important aspects for anyone to consider. So how do you know how to help someone with disability in your own way when you’re a business owner? You can read below to find out.
1. Consider the Disabled Community as Important Patrons
Disabled people are no less important than people who are not disabled. This is especially true in the business world. A business minded person needs to understand that everyone's money spends the same. Sometimes making money is all about attracting more customers. Well, if you don't want to raise the prices of your goods and services that is. In fact, by catering to the disabled community, you are already doing something that many other businesses in your area aren't: supporting a forgotten community. Helping those with disabilities, by providing them with ease of access or specialized services, is a great way to stand out from your competitors.
2. Employ People Who Are Disabled. They Can Be Just As Ambitious As Others
By employing someone with a disability you are showing that you are merciful. Chances are, this person that you hired has been turned down time after time. They are sure to be appreciative of being given an opportunity. This means they may go above and beyond to show you thanks. You could even begin to notice that they are doing their job better than the last person that held their positions.
Hiring disabled people is also great PR. Walmart, who frequently hires disabled people as greeters, get a lot of praise for their willingness to give disabled people a chance.
Helping someone with disability will also give you a great feeling of pride.
3. Create An Athletic Scholarship For Disabled People
This one may not be a good choice for everyone; however, if your business is booming, experiencing unimaginable growth, and has money to spare you can begin a scholarship for disabled people. There are plenty of disabled people who excel at sports, so providing an athletic scholarship to disabled people is a great way to connect with the disabled community. Providing educational help for someone with disability will have customers lining up outside your door once they hear of your kindness and compassion.
You are also providing a way for someone to better themselves. By helping a disabled person attend college you are changing their lives forever. Nothing feels as good as being altruistic.
4. Support Organisations That Help People With Disabilities.
There are many charitable organisations that help people with disabilities. CYDA, for example, is an Australian-based non-profit organisation who provides therapies and activities to children with disability.
In the United States, Blooming With Autism, for example, provide therapies and activities to children with autism. They have gymnastics classes, karate classes, speech classes, and more. Jodi Davis, the founder of Blooming with Autism decided to create the organisation because one of her daughters was diagnosed with autism as a toddler.
Prince’s Trust, a UK-based charity, is another great charity to donate to. This charity focuses on helping young people with physical and learning disabilities to greater levels of their independence through the provision of mobility aids, employability training and family support.
5. Show Respect to People With Disabilities
This tip should be followed by everyone, not just business owners. People who are not disabled can sometimes forget to think before they say or do something around a disabled person. So how can you show respect to persons with disabilities? There are many different ways to show a disabled person respect. One of the best ways to show respect is to ask before helping them. A person may be prideful in providing for themselves. If you see a disabled person trying to do something difficult, perhaps they enjoy performing difficult tasks. Always ask a disabled person if they need help before assisting them.
Here is another important piece of advice: never play with a disabled person's service dog. These dogs are trained to behave a certain way. They receive treats and praise when they perform their tasks well. Do not pet them because the dog may interpret this as being praised even when he hasn't done his job. This could break the dog of his training, leading to accidents or worse.
Most people already know about this one, but it needs to be mentioned. Do not use handicapped services, like parking spots or bathroom stalls, if you are not disabled. You never know when someone who is actually disabled may need to use these services.
Perhaps the best way to help those with disabilities is to put yourself in their shoes. Try to imagine what they are thinking when you approach them or treat them a certain way. They often don't want to be treated special, but they do want the services, goods, and accommodations that non-disabled people have. Always think before speaking, and especially, make sure that your business is outfitted for the needs of a disabled person.
Author Bio: Gigi Wara is an inspired writer who loves writing about language and acquisition, career building and education-related stories in general. This time around, her post comes courtesy of Open Minds, an Australian-organisation which has proudly committed to supporting people living with mental illness, disability or acquired brain injury.
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