Being a Good Neighbor to People with Disabilities

Author: Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 20 Oct 2010 - Updated: 3 Dec 2023
Publication Type: Informative

Contents: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Related Publications

Synopsis: Disabilities come in many forms some individuals might be physically impaired to the extent that they have difficulty moving or executing physical tasks.

Introduction

We've all heard the expression, "It takes a village to raise a child." Neighborhoods are our modern-day villages, and we all want them to be safe and comfy. Nevertheless, not all of our fellow villagers live with the same feeling of ease and security as the rest of us. People with disabilities live among us. Sometimes they live so quietly that we are able to forget that they're there. But they're our neighbors too.

Main Content

Disabilities Come in Many Forms

Some individuals might be physically impaired to the extent that they have difficulty moving or executing physical tasks.

Other people may have a condition that impacts their stamina. They may not seem physically impaired in an obvious way but they still have significant limitations in their exercise level.

The third kind of disability is one of emotional or psychological health. These are the people who are the least visible to us, and they may be one with the most ignored segments of the disabled population.

But what's common to an individual with any type of disability is the desire to live as normal a existence as possible, and good neighbors can assist. Here are quick explanations about main suggestions for helping the disabled inside your community.

Mindfulness is the first recommendation for helping the disabled in your community. Mindfulness doesn't involve any new behaviors, it just means that you simply consciously consider your disabled neighbors.

• Do not park in handicapped spots.
• Do not block entryways to apartment buildings or community areas. What may be easy to walk around might be impossible for a walker or perhaps a wheelchair!
• Do not be rude. Many of the disabled have difficulty sleeping or are overly sensitive to noise and activity. Try to curtail your activities to a reasonable extent.
• Assistance: Making your self available when possible.
• Vigilance: If you notice some thing wrong or different, verify it out right away. Don't ignore the newspapers accumulating in your neighbor's driveway or the lights that never get turned off.
• Make a call: Check in daily or weekly to maintain in touch. Give them your name and number. If you're running errands call to ask if there's anything they need.
• Make a recommendation: You will find assistive devices to create life easier: reachers, telephones with large numbers or TTY capability (text for the deaf), bath benches and grab bars, emergency call buttons, etc. You can recommend these devices to your neighbor and maybe assist in obtaining them.
• Make an effort: Discover out if there's some thing that is difficult for them but easy for you: driving, shopping, dusting or vacuuming, laundry, selecting up medications in the pharmacy, washing dishes, etc. It could be as big of a deal as picking up a family member in the airport or as small as watering a plant. Just like everybody else, the disabled would prefer to have meaningful relationships with the people close to them. Keep in mind, this person is a person and not a disability.
• Advocacy: In the event you would prefer to be more proactive in helping the disabled inside your community, there are several resources of info. The internet will be the easiest avenue to find sources that are close to home.

Disabled World is a resource for the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia. The website supplies a sense of neighborhood and a source of information for and about the disabled. We can make the world a better place, one neighbor at a time.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.