How to Communicate With Coworkers With Disabilities (Part II)

Nancy Starnes, vice president and chief of staff for the National Organization on Disabilities (N.O.D.), believes the etiquette on how people with disabilities interact with their coworkers is set early in the relationship-building process. "Any time there is someone new that is different in some way, there will be discussion," Starnes says. "If that person has a disability, that discussion could be about would this person blend with the team and what will he or she add. Those initial doubts are natural. It can and should be discussed. It's the only way to get beyond what those differences are." But the first question out of your mouth never should focus on the disability. Instead, offers Starnes, take time to get to know your colleague. . . . (To continue reading articles or access digital editions of DiversityInc magazine, please login below.)