Monday, June 17, 2013

Dear Modern Manners Guy ...

Here is my letter to the Modern Manners Guy Podcast:

Dear Modern Manners Guy:

Could you please do a podcast episode on "Disability Etiquette?" Grammar Girl did a great episode of her podcast on appropriate language regarding people with disabilities, but what about manners and appropriate behavior? Is it okay to open doors for a wheelchair user? Can you pet a guide dog? Is it ever appropriate to ask a person about his or her specific disability?

I have worked in the disability rights field for over 20 years, and I have disabilities myself. So, I have my own ideas on questions of disability etiquette. There are also many guides out there. However, most of them, in my opinion, focus too much on specific rules and not enough on the principles behind them.

Modern Manners Guy, I'd love to get your take on this!

No comments: