Below some tips to assist in adapting communication and engagement strategies for persons with different types of impairments:
A note about sign language: Like spoken languages, sign languages are different between countries and regions. Some people also use unofficial sign language and in these cases, you may need to use a family member or friend to interpret. Ask them to teach you some simple signs (e.g. good, bad and thank you) and try to include these in your discussion.
Below is a selection of sign language that is mostly used in daily life:
Image Description
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Name’, keeping right hand on the shoulder and holding face straight.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Person’, showing right hand before the shoulder while keeping thumb and index finger straight open folding other 3 fingers.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Time’, pointing out to a watch tied in left hand.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Fire’, keeping 5 fingers upwards of two hands each, in a half rounded shape.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Life’, keeping two hands face to face in the abdomen, bending 2 thumbs upwards folding other fingers.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Happiness’, showing right thumb and index finger stretched at two sides of jaw, folding other fingers.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Sadness’, showing right thumb and index finger downwards stretched at right side jaw, folding other fingers.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Food’, showing a posture of eating by hand.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Friend’, bending all the fingers downwards.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Break’, keeping two hands face to face in the chest, while moving round all the fingers.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘House’, joining two hands in slanting position.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Cold’, keeping two hands upwards, folding all the fingers.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Wait’, keeping right hand over the left hand folding all the fingers of both hands.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Learn’, folding the right arm upwards over the shoulder and moving all the fingers at a circular motion.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Help’, bending all the fingers downwards in a posture of seeking anything.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Celebrate’, moving all the fingers clockwise.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Love’, crossing left hand over the right hand at the chest folding all the fingers.
This is a sign language illustrating ‘Tell’, touching the mouth with right thumb keeping other fingers open.
People with intellectual disabilities may experience difficulty in understanding, learning, and remembering, and in applying information to new situations. It is important to note, however, that persons with intellectual disabilities can learn new things and participate in our activities, with just some small changes to the way we work.