Police officers often encounter citizens with special needs, such as vision, hearing, or mobility problems. These tips will help you conduct an interview efficiently and effectively.

1. Use your voice appropriately. Many people start screaming without thinking when talking to a person in a wheelchair or someone who cannot see. Speak normally. (The same principle applies when you’re talking to someone who doesn’t know much English. Yelling won’t help!)

2. Maintain eye contact. Sit down if the citizen is lying in bed or sitting in a wheelchair. Direct your questions to the person you are interviewing, not a family member or caregiver (unless prompted).

3. Be respectful. Do not pet or play with a service animal. Get permission before moving or adjusting a wheelchair. Do not trip over or sit on a patient’s bed. Listen patiently to citizens with speech impairments: do not train them or finish your words or prayers for them. A blind person will appreciate knowing who else is present during an interview.

4. Offer help when needed (but ask first). A blind person may appreciate being gently guided by the elbow. Some people with hearing problems can lip read if the light is good and you are directly in their line of sight. Ask how you can facilitate the interview and follow up when the citizen makes a suitable suggestion or request.

5. Recognize the intelligence of the person. It is very easy to patronize or insult a person who has a disability. Use the same vocabulary and sentence structure that you would bring to any interview. For example, it is okay to use words like “see” and “walk” in conversation with a blind person or someone sitting in a wheelchair.

6. Do not jump to conclusions about physical or mental abilities, especially when it comes to a child or an older person. A person of almost any age, young or old, may have useful information for you.

7. Arrange for an adult to be present when you interview a child. If privacy is needed, keep the adult close enough for the child to see, or delay the interview until you can locate an adult the child can trust.

8. Be careful when talking to a third party: an EMT, chaplain, nurse, firefighter, or other officer. Avoid insensitive jokes or insults that a citizen may hear. In a hospital room, remember that a patient who appears unconscious can still hear what you are saying.

These simple tips show your professionalism, which builds confidence in you and your agency. Review and practice them until they become second nature – they will serve you well throughout your law enforcement career.