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 unthinkingly start screaming when talking to a person in a wheelchair or someone who can’t see. He speaks normally. (The same principle applies when you’re talking to someone who doesn’t know much English. Shouting 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 to a family member or caregiver (unless you are asked to do so).

3. Be respectful. Do not pet or play with a service animal. Get permission before moving or adjusting a wheelchair. Do not bump into a patient’s bed or sit on it. Listen patiently to citizens with speech disabilities: do not coach them or finish their words or sentences 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 hearing-impaired people can read lips 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 an appropriate suggestion or request.

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

6. Do not jump to conclusions about mental or physical capabilities, especially when it comes to a child or an elderly 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, have 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 official. Avoid insensitive jokes or insults that a citizen might overhear. In a hospital room, remember that a patient who appears unconscious can still hear what he is saying.

These simple tips show your professionalism and build trust in you and your agency. Review and practice them until they become second nature – they will serve you well throughout your police career.