A support person does not have to be a paid support worker.
He or she can be a family member or a friend. Support persons help someone with a disability perform daily tasks. Often people who have a support person are not able to do things by themselves, such as eat meals, use the washroom or change their clothes.
Never address the support person directly, always address the individual. The support person is there to assist only, so when communicating always look at the individual directly, not the support person. Understanding a person’s dignity is important always treat an individual as you would anyone else. They will identify to you if they want you to do anything different.
Without support, that person may be unable to access your goods or services.
Welcome support persons to your workplace or business. Let people know if you charge an additional fee for a support person. This fee needs to be clearly stated in advance.
Tips:
- Think about how your services are used by people with a support person.
- Decide how you will deal with special situations or services.
- Consider what parts of your premises are open to the public.
- Develop and clearly state the admission fee, if your organization sets a fee for support persons.
Example: A movie theatre posts a notice on its website and at its ticket window that support persons will be charged 50 per cent of the admission fee when accompanying a person with a disability.