The Importance of Disability Etiquette

Have you ever spoken to someone's interpreter, rather than directly to them? Have you tried to help someone with a physical disability only to realize you've made things worse? Odds are, you've committed or witnessed a disability etiquette faux pas. After all, there isn't a rulebook out there detailing how to interact with people with disabilities. But, there is this course! Throughout this one-hour course, you'll learn inclusive language, best practices for respectful behavior, and the overarching principles of disability etiquette.

Why is disability etiquette so important? There are 61 million people with disabilities in the United States alone. Yet, people with disabilities are often excluded from full participation in work and life. Companies that commit to disability inclusion have, on average, 28% higher revenue, double the net income, and 30% higher economic profit margins than their peers. If your business doesn’t have an actionable strategy for disability inclusion, you’re leaving 26% of American adults — and the potential for greater revenue — waiting at the door. This course shows you how to integrate disability etiquette into the core of your organization’s culture, creating the inclusion necessary to incite cultural change around diversity and inclusion and cultivate stronger innovation as well.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Disability Etiquette

    • About This Course (text)

    • How to Navigate Thinkific (audio segment)

    • Meet Your Instructors (video)

    • Diversity is... Inclusion is... (text)

    • Introduction (video)

    • Learning Objectives (text)

    • Inclusive Disability Language (video)

    • Microaggressions (video)

    • Awkward No More (video)

    • Guidelines for Behavior (video)

    • The Core Principles of Disability Etiquette (download)

    • Respectful Behavior at Work (video)

    • Best Practices for Respectful Behavior at Work (slideshow video)

    • A Note on Clear Masks (text)

    • Conclusion (video)

    • Key Terms (download)

    • Upcoming Quiz (text)

    • Quiz (interactive)

    • References (download)

What Students are Saying

Continuous Learning

by Courtney Poole, Specialty Practice Manager at BAYADA Home Health Care

I thoroughly enjoyed taking this disability course. I have a disability myself and I still gained so much from this course. I never stop learning about other types of disabilities and how to educate myself to be inclusive of others in the workplace and in my personal life. I appreciate the individuals who shared their stories to educate us all during this training course. Thank you!

Engaging & Enlightening

by David Galindo, Senior Manager of Learning & Development at Abrigo

The Disability Inclusion course was engaging and enlightening. I learned about the various conceptual models of disability and how to be more inclusive by practicing better disability etiquette. The course provided excellent guidance and recommendations on how to demonstrate more respectful behavior at work.

Respect All Humans

by Bob Osmond, President at Racepoint Global

The Diversity Movement and Ablr have created a comprehensive and helpful course for any person or organization focused on creating an inclusive culture--or for people who want to move through the world in a way that respects all humans.

Easy-to-Follow

by Shannon Connolly, Director at Vynamic

This was a brief and engaging way to be introduced to the key concepts related to disability and inclusion. I appreciated the easy-to-follow content and the great examples of how to implement inclusive behaviors!

Applicable

by Victoria Chibuogu Nneji

I found this course to get to the core of truths we can all acknowledge and apply to how we operate in the world, and especially in the workplace. I highly recommend.

Enroll to Earn Continuing Education Credits

We’re proud to be an Institute for Diversity Certification (IDC) Preferred Recertification Provider. Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)® and Certified Diversity Executive (CDE)® designees can earn recertification credits by taking our courses.

We are also a Certified Association Executive registered provider, meaning all programs on this site meet the requirements for fulfilling the professional development requirements to earn or maintain the Certified Association Executive credential.

FAQs

  • How is the course formatted?

    The course is set in a multimedia format to engage all learning styles. The course includes 8 videos, 3 downloadable handouts, 1 recorded slide show presentation, 1 quiz, and 1 audio recording.

  • How long does it take to complete the course?

    On average, this course takes students 1 hour to complete.

  • Who is this course for?

    This course is for anyone who wants to learn about the benefits of disability inclusion and best practices for disability etiquette. This course is especially helpful for leaders who want to bring disability inclusion into their organization.