Expired Disability Etiquette: Best Practices for Communicating with Older Adults and People with Disabilities

As transit providers, we are tasked with providing excellent customer services for all of our passengers, many of whom are older adults and people with disabilities. We provide these services day-in and day-out, so why do we need a class on how to communicate with people we are already taking good care of? If this is what you are thinking, it is the first reason to take this class!! We don’t “take care of” our passengers who are older adults and people with disabilities; we provide them with great service.

This workshop will explain how to best serve older adults and passengers with disabilities. It will cover incorrect labels assigned to people with disabilities; communicating by situation (on the phone – in person – at meetings or conferences); interacting with older adults with various conditions including dementia; people with mobility impairments; understanding hidden disabilities; seizure disorders; brain injuries autism; mental illness; service animals vs. emotional support animals; people who are blind; people who are deaf; auxiliary aids and services; and more…

The workshop will include group discussion, hands-on activities, scenario-based exercises and best practice illustrations of excellent customer service. There is time set aside for participants to share personal examples and to ask questions specific to their own situations at their agencies. Handout resources are also included in the training.

Workshop Details: There will be a 30 minute break for lunch during the session as well as morning and afternoon breaks.

This workshop is being provided by Easterseals Project Action in partnership with the Minnesota Rural Transit Assistance Program.