Manners 101

Let’s start with something I like to call Manners 101, a set of considerations that stem from one basic principle: if it would be weird, unprofessional or rude to do with a non-disabled source, it’s also weird, unprofessional and rude to do with a disabled source.

 
When interviewing a wheelchair user, do not get on your knees, bend down dramatically or crouch. If you would like to be at eye level with your source, feel free to ask them whether you may take a seat just as you would with a source who doesn’t use a wheelchair. Do not touch mobility devices, such as wheelchairs, walkers or canes, whether or not your interview subject is using the device during the interview. Same goes for any other equipment the person uses, such as a lift or communication device. Especially, do not try to adjust any of these things to get a better shot — you’re a professional and can figure out the shot without touching these things. Feel free to ask the disabled person to adjust their position or equipment themselves, just as you would with any source; if what you have in mind doesn’t work for your source, you can work together to find something that does.

 
Do not grab a disabled person and attempt to move them, using either their mobility device or their physical body. Treat the mobility device at all times as an extension of the physical body, even when it’s not touching the physical body. Do not touch a disabled person in any way you wouldn’t touch another source. If you do need to touch a source for purposes of the interview, such as when clipping a lapel mic to their clothing, ask first, follow their instructions for how to set it up, describe what you’re doing as you’re doing it and don’t linger.

Try to have interviews in surroundings that are comfortable for your source. If that means doing the interview at the source’s home, remember that you are a guest and use the same manners that you would in anyone else’s home (for example, don’t touch anything without being invited, ask where you can set up or sit, don’t pry, don’t leave a mess). Do not set up your equipment in any way that could be hazardous — for example, yes, you will have cables and cords, but they should be out of the way so no one is likely to trip and fall. Do not block access to any part of the home or shoot in areas you haven’t been invited into.

 
Let sources know in advance how many people will be coming to the interview, who they are, what they will be doing and how long you expect the interview to take. If there are any changes, let the source know as soon as you can. If you’re talking to a blind source or a source with low vision, make sure to tell your source the names of everyone there, the role of each person and the physical position of each person in the room. And let them know if people move around. If the conversation is itself going to be broadcast, it might be appropriate for everyone to introduce themselves with a brief description of what they look like.

 
If you’re working with someone who is deaf, Deaf or hard of hearing (see Language, Glossary), ask where it would be best to position yourselves for sign-language interpretation, Deaf Interpretation, lip-reading, or to hear, depending on their needs. Don’t assume that the source does or doesn’t communicate in a certain way; ask how they prefer to communicate when establishing contact. Make sure there is space for everyone to see and hear one another and space for sign language. In Deaf communities, it’s considered very rude to attempt to have a “private” conversation with someone else by obscuring the view of others or to say things “in an aside” using oral language. If you need to have a private word with your team, inform everyone that you’re going to do so and then step out of the room.
Do not pet a service animal. Do not ask to pet a service animal. Do not sheepishly look at the service animal’s handler and tell them, “Gee, I know you can’t pet service animals, but it sure is a shame.” The handler knows that you probably want to pet their service animal; if that’s possible, and it probably won’t be, they will offer. If it would be helpful to take the animal outside for a bathroom break, the handler will also let you know; you don’t need to ask. You are at work. So is the animal.

If you happen to see a wheelchair user driving or wheeling, you really don’t need to make a joke about the user potentially receiving a speeding ticket. The wheelchair user has probably heard that joke multiple times that day alone and is tired of pretending it’s funny. (This rule does not apply if the source is eight or younger — it’s often still funny to kids because they haven’t gotten sick of it yet.) If there happens to be more than one wheelchair user in a space, that does not automatically mean there is a problem, an emergency or a “traffic jam.” A wheelchair user and someone using another accessibility aid to navigate, such as a white cane, haven’t created a problem, an emergency or a “traffic jam” either. Most disabled people will know how to navigate shared spaces with others who have different access needs, because they’ve done it before.

 
Do not grab a visibly disabled person and move them, even if it looks to you as if they’re struggling. Do not grab a deaf or Deaf person’s hand while the person is signing (or at any other time). If you see a blind person or person with low vision crossing the street or otherwise existing in public, don’t grab their arm and “guide” them either. You are more likely to knock someone off balance or get someone hopelessly lost than to offer any genuine help. If someone needs help, they will let you know; if you’re really concerned, ask if the person needs help and follow their directions for how to help. You don’t need to tell a power-wheelchair user that she is a better driver than you; she already knows that. (We’ve seen the way many of you drive.)

 
Do not wear scented products to interviews — you never know who might have chemical sensitivities or allergies. If you think your source could have a chemical sensitivity and you’re not sure about your normal products, it’s okay to ask the source what they need. Avoid wearing perfume or cologne regardless. Ask about severe allergies if you suspect they might be a factor — you don’t want a source getting sick from pet dander on your clothes or traces of nuts left on your hands from a quick pre-interview snack.

If you need a certain kind of lighting, ask whether that’s okay before setting up and be prepared to pivot to an alternative setup. (Many disabilities and chronic illnesses have symptoms triggered by certain kinds of light.[1]) If you’re doing a broadcast interview on Zoom or another online platform, try to get an idea of the source’s physical environment beforehand and discuss with the source what lighting and sound would be ideal, what’s required and what’s achievable: it’s possible that they won’t be able to adjust on the fly without assistance, so it’s best to troubleshoot in advance. Do the same with the angle of the source’s camera — some will be able to adjust easily, and some won’t.

Come prepared to wear a mask, preferably an N95 respirator or equivalent with a tight fit. Your source may be immunocompromised, have conditions that affect their breathing or be otherwise at high risk for complications from COVID-19 or other respiratory infections. Be mindful of the power differential when discussing this; it’s possible that, if you, as a journalist and someone who could be seen, perhaps, as a gatekeeper to media access, ask whether they would prefer you to wear a mask, they will say no out of awkwardness or fear about how you will portray them. (The reverse could also be true.) It’s better to offer to wear a respirator mask or show up with one. Even if one source is okay with your not wearing one, if you’re doing a disability-related story, you will probably be talking to multiple disabled sources (because you’ve read the other sections and so definitely won’t be asking only one as a token!) with different risk profiles. One person’s mild cold could be another person’s permanent heart damage. If the person has accessibility needs that make masking more difficult, ask what they need and whether alternative protection might be appropriate.
Make sure to sanitize your hands when entering and when exiting someone’s home or a public space. Do not leave your garbage — including used masks, tape from cables, scrap paper or food wrappers — in someone’s home (or in long-term-care homes or other institutional settings).

 
Follow your media outlet’s guidelines for whether to accept an offer to give or buy you food — when in doubt, accept nothing and pay your own tab, as you normally would.