Support
Support Persons
Some people with disabilities that you encounter will be accompanied by a support person.
A support person might help a person with a disability with a variety of things from communicating to helping with mobility, personal care or medical needs.
A support person can be a personal support worker, an interpreter, an intervener, a communication assistant, a volunteer, a family member or a friend of the person with a disability. S/he does not necessarily need to have special training or qualifications.
According to the customer service standard, support persons must be allowed to accompany an individual with a disability to any part of your organization that is open to the public or to third parties.
Tips for interacting with a person who has a support person:
Approach and Introduction:
- Introduce yourself to and speak directly to the person with a disability and not to their support person.
- A person with a disability might not introduce their support person.
- It’s also good practice to confirm with the person with a disability that they want the support person to be present during your interaction.
Tips for interacting with people who have a communication assistant:
Approach and Introduction:
- Speak directly to the individual, not to the assistant.
Communication:
- Observe the person directing the assistant so that you know s/he is communicating and approving their messages.
- In some cases, an assistant may support the person selecting words or pictures on his/her display or device or putting t hese items into a sentence.
- If you are unsure about a message, ask “Is that what you wanted to say?”
Behaviour
- Ensure that the person who accompanies the person with the disability has been authorized to assist him/her with communication. Once you have confirmed that role, accept the person’s message as conveyed to you by the assistant.
