People With Speech Disabilities
People with speech disabilities are those who use a voice prosthesis, are deaf, have a stammer, or who have had a stroke and may be difficult to understand.
- Don’t finish their sentences or fill in their words.
- If you have trouble understanding, don’t just nod! Politely ask the person to repeat what they said. In most cases, the person will not mind and will appreciate your efforts to understand what they have to say.
- If you are not sure whether you have understood, simply repeat their remarks back to them for verification. If you still cannot understand them, ask them to write down their remarks or to suggest another way of communicating.
- Don’t tease or laugh at a person with a speech disability. Communicating effectively is important to all of us.
