The basic rules for contacting people with disabilities at the University are regulated by the Rector’s Order No. 43/2022, dated March 15, 2022, on the introduction of standards for customer service at the University of Economics in Wroclaw (the entirety below for download).
General recommendations, in the event that among those waiting there is a customer who is customarily entitled to priority service (i.e.: a woman with a visible pregnancy, an elderly person, a person with a disability) you should:
- Ask the interested party, who is entitled to the usual priority of service, whether he or she wishes to be served out of turn.
- direct the interested party to the priority service station, if such is located in the organizational unit, at the same time informing the relevant employee that among those waiting there is a person waiting for service out of order.
- serve the interested party in the first place, having given his prior consent, while informing the other waiting parties of the organization’s priority rules for serving interested parties.
1.2.1 Persons who are blind or visually impaired.
In particular, the following Recommendations should be followed when serving people with disabilities:
(a) approach, introduce yourself, and then ask if and how you can help her,
(b) in the case where the person of interest is blind/visually impaired and is accompanied by an assistant/guardian? always address the stakeholder directly, not the person accompanying him,
(c) do not touch a blind person before receiving permission from him or her, and, if necessary, ask if he or she needs help getting to the place where the matter is being handled,
(d) if a blind/visually impaired person needs information about the surrounding space in order to move around, it is imperative that such information be provided to him, while pointing out in the space architectural barriers and other objects and objects that may be in the way,
(e) in the case where a guide dog accompanies a person of interest, no direct contact with the animal should be sought in any way (unfamiliar behavior of the dog may distract it and thus hinder the assistance of a blind/visually impaired person),
(f) if necessary, the employee serving the interested party should provide assistance in reading the contents of the document(s), e.g., by reading its contents before submitting it for signature, (if the interested party needs assistance in this regard, the serving employee should have at the workstation an additional light source, magnifying glass, or a frame to facilitate the signature of the interested party).
1.2.2 Hard of hearing and hearing-impaired persons
In particular, the following recommendations should be followed when serving people with disabilities:
(a) if it is determined that the person of interest is hard of hearing/hearing impaired, his/her service should proceed in such a way as to enable him/her to read the transmitted information from the movement of the lips,
(b) during the service, the employee should clearly and at the right pace provide oral information to the interested party, and if the content provided is incomprehensible, it should be repeated;
(c) in a situation where the handling of an interested party involves louder communication, these activities should be carried out in a separate room, if possible, especially when the subject of the case involves the transmission of sensitive information,
(d) in the event that the fulfillment of the conditions set forth in paragraph (c) it is difficult or impossible sensitive information should be presented to the stakeholder in writing, and it should be short, concise and given in a fully comprehensible manner.
1.2.3 People with physical disabilities and/or mobility limitations
In particular, the following recommendations should be followed when serving people with disabilities:
a) It is important to remember that a stakeholder who moves independently in a wheelchair or with the help of orthopedic mobility aids may need assistance/assistance due to unfamiliarity with the environment or architectural barriers present,
(b) you should ask whether the stakeholder needs our assistance in moving around in the building/part of the building during a visit to a matter relevant to him/her, while no activities related to such assistance should be performed without his/her express consent,
(c) an employee dealing with an interested party should not violate his personal space,
(d) for a person sitting in a wheelchair, the most convenient area of the field of vision is a height of 90-120 cm, so it is best to talk to a person with a disability while sitting at a desk. If this is not possible, be sure to keep an appropriate distance from the caller so that the stakeholder is not forced to raise his head,
(e) when serving a visitor in a wheelchair, the employee should sit at the station at which the visitor is served – this reduces the risk of forcing the visitor into a position (e.g., head raised high) that could be uncomfortable for the visitor,
(f) in the event that a stakeholder uses orthopedic equipment, he should always be shown a convenient place where he can put it away, while making sure that the equipment does not disturb both staff and other stakeholders.
