The View from the Wheelchair

“Don’t judge me ‘til you’ve walked a mile in my shoes.” So goes the old adage.

Over the last few weeks I’ve walked a few miles on crutches, rolled a few kilometres in a wheelchair, and learned that “don’t judge me” is no mere platitude. I’ve come to see the world in a very different way.

Those of us with two good legs don’t know the first thing about a daily reality where doorways are too narrow, steps too steep, and grab bars non-existent or poorly placed. And I’m talking about public places.

Don’t get me wrong– I’ve been treated wonderfully by individuals, and I’ve experienced kindness and helpfulness in abundance. But all the kindness in the world doesn’t help when you can’t safely take a shower in a hotel for which you’ve paid full price.

My narrow point is this: until I (temporarily, I hope) lost the use of a leg, I never thought much about grab bars and narrow doors. I never needed to do so, because I’d never experienced the world of the access-challenged!

The access-challenged lead “challenging” lives in large part because the rest of us simply don’t think to accommodate. It’s not that we’re cruel, it’s just that we’re busy with our own lives. We have enough on our plates.

As I pondered this, I began to understand that there are lessons for you and me as communicators. Many in our audiences face communication challenges. Do we make accommodation for them?

Let’s take just four everyday examples:

1. An important public notice is posted in long sentences of “high-flown” language. Not much use to the literacy-challenged.

2. Instructions on drug packages are printed in five point font. Not much use to the presbyoptically (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyopia) -challenged (and that’s most of us over fifty.)

3. Public announcements at airports and other concourses are often a garbled blare, incomprehensible over the background din. “Lasgal fur Mmffgrp and Gbrgf on Airganda flight ninedefor fm Haffax to Tronna.” Was that me? (We Canadians can screw it up in both official languages.)

4. We lawyers write six-page threatening letters to laypersons, laced with law-Latin, citing arcane statutes, then conclude with “Please govern yourself accordingly.” Really?

Those ones are fairly obvious, but communication challenges can be much more tricky.

The graphic artist, for instance, needs to be aware that colour-blind individuals will see parts of the graphic in different ways, or perhaps not at all. Roughly one in twelve males could entirely miss your message.

In general, eye contact is a critical element (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sideways-view/201412/the-secrets-eye-contact-revealed) for most face-to-face communication, but individuals with autism and related conditions may find eye contact difficult and even threatening. In some societies, uninvited eye contact may be considered rude. So, if you find an audience member studiously avoiding your eye contact, give them some space.

Just as those of us with two good legs need to accommodate those who are challenged, we as communicators need to consider our audience and make the appropriate accommodation.

Have you thought about the comprehension challenges faced by some or all of your audience? What are you doing to accommodate?

My blogs (http://www.purposeful.ca/blog)