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Wheelchair Trade Show Display Tips

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Trade shows exhibits are hard work, and even more so for attendees who may use a wheelchair. For some, the chair may be new and temporary but for most attendees, it is where they live. Julia O’Connor, an expert with the well-known Trade Show Training firm - www.TradeShowTraining.com - offers these suggestions for making life easier for everyone on the floor...

1. Well, let’s just be honest. Those folks in the chairs know that they are in the chairs. It’s your responsibility to make them as comfortable in your space as any other visitor. Quick no-no or two -- don’t gawk -- don’t ask stupid questions-- don’t raise your voice (they have a leg problem, not an ear problem). If you have a genuine interest, most chair bound folks will tell you their story quickly.

2. These days, wheelchairs are smaller and allow more mobility. Watch out for them as they zip around the corners and scoot out of elevators

. 3. It’s important to maintain eye contact, as with any visitor, but rather than hunching over, pull up a chair so you’re both at the same eye level and have a normal conversation.

4. Just as people with vision problem may have a person with them as a guide, so too may people in chairs. While it’s polite to acknowledge the guide, address your comments to the visitor, not the guide.

5. If you’re showing video, using a computer or have a demonstration at a 40" height, be able to adjust it for people in a wheelchair or who may not be able to see at that height. In a double deck exhibit? Have a duplicate in your trade show booths.

6. Make sure aisles are wide and clear, chair and table legs don’t angle out and there are no sharp edges on the exhibitu, accessories or free-standing graphics.

Michael Chenail is president of Compliance Alliance, an ADA consulting firm focusing on the hospitality industry – www.ADAHospitality.com As a chair user since 1985, Michael is a common-sense advocate for the disabled, has traveled the aisles of many a trade show and added these practical suggestions -

1. Don't load visitors down with stuff. Just because they’re sitting down, they're not a shopping cart, and certainly don't want to hauling baggage around all day.

2. Don't be afraid to shake hands, even if visitors have limited use of their hands or wear an artificial limb.

3. Always ask if the person might like assistance before you jump in to help. You might startle them, or your help may not be wanted or needed.

4. Don't hang onto someone's wheelchair. A wheelchair is part of that person’s own personal space, so don't lean on it, rock it or kick the tires. In short, treat everyone the same.