Respectful Collaboration

Content: Guidance on how to interact, Guidance for collaboration, Recommendations for you as teaching staff.

At first glance, a guide on how to interact with students with impairment, chronic or mental illnesses might seem outdated – as if respectful interaction and communication were a given. Nevertheless, uncertainty or a lack of knowledge do occasionally arise. The following guidance is intended to offer you direction, break down barriers and facilitate an open-minded, attentive and natural way of interacting.

The approach should be as individual as the student. None of the following recommendations are exhaustive or can be generalised. Rather, they are intended to serve as a guide.

The person comes first

Focus on the students as whole people, in all their facets, rather than on their disability, chronic or mental illness.

Direct and respectful communication

Always look at and speak directly to students. This is particularly important for students with sensory impairments, as lip-reading and facial expressions help them to understand.
It is better to communicate too much than too little. It is particularly important for students who are blind to communicate extensively.
Avoid being overly curious. For example, do not ask why or for how long the person you are speaking to has had a disability or illness.

Providing clarity and guidance

Make sure your pronunciation is clear and easy to understand. Check with students whether they can understand you, and ask for feedback so you can make any necessary adjustments.
Phrase tasks (and task instructions) clearly.

Academic language and the ability to use it are essential, particularly in a university context. Nevertheless, you should try to bear the following points in mind:

Revise key points and technical terms.
Take particular care to use clear and concise language, especially when dealing with organisational matters. Put the results in writing and make them available.
Always convey information through at least two of the main senses (two-senses principle).

Non-verbal communication

Avoid staring – also blind people can sense when someone is looking at them.
When moving from one place to another, students who are blind or have a visual impairment may be offered an arm or a shoulder to hold onto for guidance.
Try to speak at eye level with students who use a wheelchair or are of short stature – sit down.

Mindful language

Please be sensitive when talking about people and students with impairment, chronic or mental illnesses. Avoid terms such as ‘tragic’, ‘terrible’ or ‘suffers from’.
Try to avoid saying things like ‘Let’s go for a walk’ to someone in a wheelchair. Whilst this doesn’t necessarily cause offence, it can.

If you wish to check German texts for potentially ableist language, please feel free to use the ZAB Sprachkompass. As soon as the tool detects language that is discriminatory or derogatory towards people with disabilities or illness, it will alert you to this. It will then suggest appropriate, respectful and inclusive alternatives.

Respect for personal distance, assistive tools, and (personal) assistances

People with disabilities or illnesses repeatedly report that they are touched without being asked – whether it is a pat on the shoulder or a stroke over the head. It also happens that assistive devices such as white canes are misplaced, or that wheelchairs are moved or used for purposes other than their intended ones. Therefore, the following applies:

Please be mindful of and respect the personal space of the person you are talking to.
Please take care of assistive tools and (personal) assistances and do not use them for purposes other than those for which they are intended.
Assistance dogs are at work.
- Please do not touch them without asking.
- Please accept it if, when asked, you are not allowed to pet the dog.
- Please also remind others to be considerate.

Involve interpreters and (personal) assistances appropriately

Do not look at or speak (primarily) to the assistances or sign language interpreters, but to the students directly. This is not considered impolite, particularly in the case of sign language interpreters.

Offer support – don’t force it on people

Students with disabilities, chronic or mental illnesses are not in need of assistance; they are self-reliant and independent.

Therefore, do not offer support without being asked.
Accept ‘no’ for an answer and do not become ‘overbearing’.

Assess the situation. Only offer your support if it is genuinely needed, and be prepared to accept a possible refusal.

Recommendations for you as teaching staff

Students with disabilities, chronic or mental illnesses are experts on their own circumstances. Listen to them and continually reflect on your own prejudices. Give yourself time to learn and be open to suggestions and criticism.