When working with a colleague with a disability, it is important to learn how best to work with them. Start by talking to the person about their disabilities and how they want you to work with them. Accommodation is not the same as special treatment. It is meant to help the employee work to the best of their abilities and optimize performance.

Mandate diversity and inclusion training. Diversity is not just about race and gender. Inclusion training needs to include mental and/or physical disorders so that people can understand their coworkers regardless of whether it is psychological, physical or mental.

Use a variety of communication styles. If you work with a blind person, tap them lightly, identify yourself and address them by their name to start a conversation. If coworkers have visual or auditory issues, presentations need to include larger font sizes and bigger drawings. Speakers need to enunciate and project. If you work with someone with a speech impairment, concentrate on what they are saying and if you can’t understand them, it is okay to ask them to repeat themselves.

Give clear and direct instructions with few acronyms and slang. If an employee has a processing disability, it is more difficult for them to interpret social cues or understand gestures.

Give objective feedback. If an employee with a disability is not doing well, don’t be afraid to tell them because of their disability. Objective feedback provides useful guidance to maximize their productivity. You can’t fix what you don’t know!