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Etiquette question w/ wheelchairs.

dave_the_nerd

dave_the_nerd

Lifer
So, say I'm in my office, seated. A guy in a wheelchair rolls in.

Do I stand to greet them? (Traditional) Downside: I'm assuming a stance of dominance.

Or do I remain seated? (Not traditional, might be interpreted as rude. No stance of dominance.)

Do I stand and then sit down immediately? Is that too much movement?

I'm probably overthinking what shouldn't be too big a deal, but making people feel at ease helps me do my job. (Tech support.)
 
I would stand to greet, then sit. Even though you would normally stand because there are no guest chairs, in this case it's OK because you'll be more at eye level.
 
Whenever I meet someone I usually shake their hand and before I do so I usually stand up.

This is what I was taught, it's disrespectful to shake people's hand while sitting.....

Clearly someone in the wheel chair is most likely exempt from that, but I would stand up to shake their hand.
 
I would greet them standing. When I shake their hand, I will use a strong grip and shake firmly. Then, I would sit down over by my desk to discuss whatever they want to discuss.
 
Ask him what his avg mpg is in that thing.

Seriously though...just stand and shake his hand. His expectation isn't to be treated any differently so why treat him any differently. Standing and shaking his hand is a show of respect indicating you see him as an equal. Staying seated while reaching out to shake his hand shows that you're seeing him as disabled first and an equal second.
 
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