Host An Accessibility Learning Evening
Spend an evening learning how to actually help - sighted guiding, talking to a deaf person, what not to do with a wheelchair.
- Cost
- Free
- Time
- 90-120 min
- People
- Small Group (3-6), Large Group (7+)
- Where
- Home
- Bring
- Nothing in particular
Why this matters
Most people want to help when they see someone struggling and don't, because they're afraid of doing it wrong or causing offence. The actual etiquette is simple and takes an evening to learn. That knowledge converts hesitation into useful action - and prevents the well-meant mistakes, like grabbing someone's wheelchair, that cause real harm.
How to do it
Get people round and spend an evening learning the practical basics. Use materials published by disability organisations rather than improvising - RNIB, RNID and equivalent bodies publish clear, free guidance.
Worth covering: - Sighted guiding: offer your arm and let them take it, never grab or steer someone. Describe surroundings simply. Say when you're leaving. - Talking with someone deaf or hard of hearing: face them, keep your mouth visible, don't shout, use a notepad or phone if needed, and speak to them rather than their interpreter. - Wheelchair etiquette: never touch, lean on or push a chair without asking. Sit or crouch for longer conversations. Talk to the person, not their companion. - Guide dogs: don't touch, feed or distract a working dog. - Non-visible disabilities: chronic pain, fatigue, autism, epilepsy. Why priority seating and accessible toilets are used by people who look fine. - Plain, direct language, and asking rather than assuming what someone needs.
The single most useful principle: ask first, accept the answer, and don't take offence if help is declined.
If you know someone with lived experience who'd be willing to lead the session, that's far better than reading materials - but ask properly, offer to pay or feed them, and don't treat anyone as a free educator on their own life.
Pair it with the accessibility walk for a proper afternoon.