Suggestions for welcoming a guest with visual impairment: * Relax and smile. There's no reason to be nervous. * Introduce yourself and speak to the person directly and include the person in any ongoing conversation. * Remember there's no need to raise your voice.
* Allow a person with visual impairment to handle a child's natural curiosity in his or her own way. * Ask before assuming a person with visual impairment needs help. * Allow a person to hold on to your arm. * A person with walking difficulty might appreciate a chair at Reception.
Ask a person if they would like a description of surroundings. Pay attention to your conversation and inform them directly if something occurs to distract you. * Watch the reaction of a person with visual impairment. If you sense confusion, a discreet offer to help might be welcome. * Respect a person's cane.
Leave it within the person's reach; it is vital to their security and the ability to move. * Remember a guide dog is not a pet. While the guide dog accompanies a person, you should allow it to devote its attention to that person. Tell a person with visual impairment if you need to leave their presence. * Place him/her at a convenient space at reception and do not leave them in the centre of a big room alone.
* When checking out offer to inform them verbally about the charges. Other tips to help provide high quality service: * "See you later", “Nice to see you", “I've never seen anything like it," and other phrases are common colloquialisms used by everyone, including blind people. Don't be embarrassed or self-conscious about using similar words. * Allow a person with visual impairment to make his or her own choices.Help only to communicate alternatives. * Few of us like others prying into our personal affairs.
Let a person with sight loss initiate any discussion of blindness in general or of his or her blindness, in particular. * The life of a person with sight loss is "normal" to that person. Like the rest of us people with sight loss prefer understanding to pity. * When helping, let a person with sight loss set the agenda. It's not proper to grab a person with sight loss and manhandle him or her in order to help.
* Help by saying ‘Step up’ or ‘Step down’ as appropriate. Always describe a route as you are guiding someone. * Do not allow staff to move items in a bedroom being used by a blind or visually impaired person. Suggestions for welcoming a guest with hearing impairment: * Relax and smile. People with a hearing impairment want to make communication easier. * Touch a person with a hearing impairment lightly on the arm or shoulder to attract his or her attention.
* If you have a hearing loop mention this to the customer. * Face the person. * Look and speak directly at the hearing-impaired person even if a signing interpreter is present. Realise noisy or distracting environments can hinder communication. * Remember many hearing-impaired people rely on speech-reading to help understand what is being said. * Shouting or speaking with exaggerated slowness confuses speech-reading.
* Do nothing that will distort your speech, such as eating, chewing gum or smoking. * Pay attention to the hearing-impaired person's reactions. A puzzled look might mean you need to clarify or repeat your remark. * Rephrase any remark that is misunderstood.
Other tips to help provide high quality service The archaic term, "deaf and dumb," while technically accurate for someone who truly cannot hear or speak, should never be used. It could be considered to be offensive. * A person with a hearing impairment rightfully resents the handicap being used against him or her - such when someone shields his or her mouth or turns away to cut the hearing-impaired out of the conversation. * You can always use a notepad and pencil in an emergency. * Anticipate situations in which a hearing-impaired friend might have problems, such as recognizing the chirping sounds of modern telephones or conversation via an intercom.
Allow a hearing-impaired person to make his or her own choices. Help communicate alternatives and relay decisions. * Try to make sure that the person has access to a well lit area. * Keep your face clearly visible when talking to a deaf person. * Be aware that someone with a hearing impairment maybe nervous going out in the dark.
* Keep still when talking to a person and don’t remain silent if you are having difficulty making out what they are saying. Repeat or check with occasional interruptions. Avoid distorting you voice exaggeratedly to help a ‘lip reader’. * It is not helpful to raise your voice. Other General Tips * You should be aware which rooms are the most suitable for disabled people in your hotel. Ensure that you are at ease and familiar with the layout, design and facilities within these rooms as you may be required to recall these details from time-to-time on request.
* Some people with arthritis have difficulty holding a pen so might need some help. * You should be aware whether your leisure facilities are accessible for all visitors.One of the reasons that disabled guests may have booked your hotel may be because it has leisure facilities. It may have steps or stairs associated with it, and visitors may need to know this.
* You should know the actions and arrangements for assisting disabled guests from the building in case of emergency. This may be particularly important if the room is accessed via a lift. Ensure that you are aware and can relay to disabled guests the arrangements for evacuating the building and facilities in the unlikely event of an emergency. You should know what equipment there is at your hotel for disabled guests if they might need it.
There may be some extraordinary adaptations of facilities at your hotel together with a wide range of auxiliary aids to enable someone to access the services provided. It is important that you know what these are and how they operate before you are asked. * You should know how to inform your co-workers that you have a guest who may require assistance or additional services to enable them to stay safely and comfortably at your hotel.When a guest with disabilities has been checked in, it is important that you communicate their particular needs or requests to other co-workers, so that they can adjust their activities in relation to the guest accordingly. * You should be aware of and have sufficient knowledge of local attractions that are accessible to disabled customers including transport, shopping areas, car parking, shopmobility, attractions, accommodation, cafes, bars and restaurants.
* Hotel Receptionist Test * 1) How might you assist someone who is deaf or hard-of-hearing? Raise your voice Ask the person if they switched on their hearing aid Speak slowly * 2) The best way to greet a person in a wheel chair is: * To make an appropriate greeting with eye contact and smile Just smile and keep out of the way Place your arm round their neck and make an appropriate greeting * 3) If you meet a disabled guests in a bedroom do you: * Ask the disabled guest if they have everything right for them Assume you know exactly what they need without asking firstIgnore the disabled person entirely and only speak to those accompanying them * 4) What do you think might be a principle concern of hearing aid users staying at your hotel? * Not being able to communicate successfully with other guests or hotel staff Not being able to hear the fire alarm Being in a noisy environment and not being able to hold a conversation * 5) Which of the following statements is correct? * Disabled people do not like staff to communicate with them It is not always possible to recognise a person who is disabled People with arthritis are handicapped 6) If you meet a blind person do you: * Introduce yourself speaking loudly Keep out of their way and let them pass by Introduce yourself in your normal voice * 7) You are cleaning a public area of the hotel and a person using a wheel chair comes into the area, do you: * Carry on doing what you were doing and ignore the guest Carry on doing what you were doing and wait to se if they ask you anything Stop what you were doing and ask them if there is anything you can do to help * 8) A person in a wheel chair should be called: Wheel chair bound A wheel chair user Disabled * 9) Which of the following is correct? * Always insist on helping a person with a disability It is difficult to communicate with disabled people Let a person with a disability who wants to speak to you set the pace * 10) Disabled people like to be treated as: * Normal people Different to other people and therefore given preferential treatment Disadvantaged
