To be a rehabilitation counselor you must be compassionate and empathize with your clients—critical-thinking skills. Rehabilitation counselors must be able to develop a treatment plan to help clients reach their goals by considering each client's abilities and interests. Interpersonal skills are also crucial to the profession. Treating people as they want to be treated is key to succeeding in helping clients. Expressing human dignity is paramount. The key to my goal is to treat my patients how I would like to be treated: by putting them in my shoes.

2.     What did you already know about the profession?

Being a rehabilitation counselor takes compassion, caring, and a desire to help others. In my case this is a natural career path to pursue after being a Flight Medic for several decades in the U.S. Army. The secret to life is giving back to others.

3.     What is something new you learned about disability etiquette?

I learned something valuable about communication. For great attention and respect always speak directly to the disabled person, not to their companion, aid, or sign language interpreter. Likewise, respect their privacy. If you ask about their disability, they may feel like you are treating them as a disability and not as a person.

4.     What is something you already know about disability etiquette?

Respect is the key when talking to a person who has a disability! The most important thing to remember when you interact with people with disabilities is that they are people. Their disability is just one of the many characteristics they have.

5.     How can you see yourself using the information you learned this week to continue your growth as a student? 

This information gave me a review of the major issues of respect when dealing with patients with disabilities. The Hampton Veterans Hospital identifies this as a key issue when dealing with any patient in general. Respect is the golden road to follow.