ReachAble

This questionnaire is designed to stimulate thinking and dialogue. It is not intended to test knowledge of disability or attitudes toward people with disabilities. As people increasingly find themselves in situations involving people who are disabled they need to make quick decisions on how to respond. This questionnaire provides an opportunity to think about situations involving people with disabilities, to respond, and then to consider the various responses more carefully.

Q. You are in a grocery store with your children when a man in an electric wheelchair enters. Your children ask in loud voices: "Why is that man sitting down?" Then they go over to him and ask: "What's wrong with you?" Your response should be:

a) try as discreetly as possible to get your children away from the man and to tell them it's not polite to talk like that.
b) explain to your children that the man has a disability and, if they want to know more, ask if he would mind briefly telling your children what that means.
c) go to the man and apologize for your children's behavior while encouraging the children to come with you and to leave the man alone.

Your answer should be:
b)explain to your children that the man has a disability and, if they want to know more, ask him if he would mind briefly telling your children what that means.
The curiosity of children about disability is natural and should not be discouraged or apologized for. Much of our discomfort with disabilities as adults is a result of having been trained as children to avoid people with disabilities, not to look at them and not to talk to them. The only way for children to learn to interact naturally and comfortably with people who are disabled is for them to ask honest questions and receive honest answers.
However, you should also be sensitive to the desires of the person who is disabled. Many people would be quite willing to talk with your children briefly. In fact, many would be especially pleased to see a parent who encourages children to interact with them naturally. However, not all people with disabilities would be willing to talk with your children and even those who are willing will not always have the time or inclination. Therefore, you should not be surprised if you are rebuffed upon occasion when choosing this response.
You may consider contacting local organizations of people with disabilities to ask if there are awareness programs that you and/or your children could attend in order to increase your exposure to and knowledge of disabilities. This would decrease the likelihood that your children would be so surprised and curious when they encounter a person with a disability.