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For the majority of disabled learners, welcoming them will not be a problem, most of us have met wheelchair users and visually impaired people in the past and would not dream of treating them any differently.
However, it is sometimes more difficult to know how to treat someone with whom there is a communication difficulty, for example, someone who is deaf and cannot speak, someone who has very bad speech or someone with cerebral palsy whose arms make wild ataxic movements while they speak.
In these cases it is just as important to maintain the welcoming and positive attitude and to treat the learner in the same way as everyone else, but it is also necessary to give the person every opportunity you can to communicate with you successfully.
The following are some basic guidelines on possible ways to work with disabled people that might come into your centre.
First impressions
Make sure that anyone who may be working on reception is happy to cope with anyone with a disability who may come through the door. If they are not, try to arrange awareness training.
If a disabled person comes through the door with another person and it is obvious that the disabled person wants to make enquiries, make sure that you talk to them and not the person with them.
NEVER ASSUME anything. If a disabled person is in a wheelchair don't assume that they don't have any other disabilities. It could be that they are in the wheelchair because of a car accident which has also affected their hearing or sight.
Always treat a disabled person in an age appropriate way as you would for any other person. Don't assume that there will be a cognitive impairment because there is a physical disability.
Try to put the person at their ease immediately by making the first move, welcome them into the centre, give them your name and ask them how you can help.
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 Try to put the person at their ease immediately by making the first move 
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If you feel that the disabled person needs assistance in any way then always offer but don't do anything until invited or asked to do so and don't be offended if your offer of assistance is refused.
Remember that the disabled person is likely to be the expert on any help they may need, such as how to lift them in their wheelchair, and you should always ask them first and then heed any instructions given carefully.
It may not be possible to communicate with all learners and you may have to ask them to return at another time when an interpreter can be made available or they can bring a companion with them to help.
Welcoming deaf learners
If it is obvious that the person cannot hear you, try talking more slowly and clearly with better enunciation but do not shout.
Make sure that your face is turned towards them so that they can lip read if necessary and if you have to look down or away to do something, stop talking until you can look back up again.
Speak clearly, but don't exaggerate your facial expressions.
Bear in mind that the concentration level required for someone with a hearing impairment to follow speech is usually very high, so remember they may tire easily, and need lots of breaks.
Try to arrange that the light falls on you, so your face is illuminated well and hence easier to lip-read. Let them sit with their back to a window for example.
Remember that many words cannot be lip-read. There is still a great deal of guesswork going on even by the most expert lip reader.
If you are not understood, try re-phrasing what you said. Sometimes the use of different words can gives additional clues that make it easier to understand.
If they are still not able to understand you, get a piece of paper and a pencil and start writing out your message, alternatively you could use a computer and type your message onto the screen.
It is worth noting that some deaf people do not have very good literacy skills because their first language is British Sign Language (BSL).
However, it is often the case that someone who signs can also lip read whereas someone who doesn't sign or lip read is more likely to have literacy skills. It is unlikely that you will meet someone who can do neither.
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