(Video: VHS 11:20, No Captioning).

Produced by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions This smart and upbeat video is an excellent introduction to customer service issues for customers with disabilities.

In terms of both content and style, this is one of the best videos that we have seen on disability etiquette issues.

Produced primarily for employees of amusement parks and similar companies, Disability Etiquette is nonetheless a great training tool for any retail establishment.

This is not an exhaustive training program. Disability Etiquette is, however, a straightforward orientation to the basic rules of etiquette and language that can lay the foundation for respectful and courteous customer service experiences for people with disabilities.

Based on the premise that "every guest is important", and that every person with a disability is unique, the video covers:

• The definition of "disability"

• The goal of providing people with disabilities with the same quality of service that is experienced by non-disabled guests/customers.

• Responding to the unique needs of each customer. (Examples used include: helping a customer in a wheelchair to see items displayed high on the wall, reading the Menu to a Blind patron, using a simple notepad to communicate with a Deaf customer.)

• Dealing with uncertainties by asking the customer and/or deferring to your Supervisor.

• Interacting with courtesy. Defining disability etiquette as "Common sense, common courtesy and being aware of appropriate behavior", it gives simple suggestions on greeting customers who are unable to shake hands, getting the attention of a customer who is Deaf and can't hear you, guiding a customer who is Blind, clarifying unclear comments with a guest with a speech impairment, respecting the "personal space" of someone's wheelchair, etc.)

• Using respectful language. By giving examples of appropriate and inappropriate terms and phrases, it gives basic conversational guidelines.

Disability Etiquette is a perfect tool for companies that want to give every employee at least a quick orientation to these customer service issues. It is also an excellent tool to use as an introduction to a longer training session - perhaps followed by a presentation elaborating on the information, and/or a discussion of the issues it raises.

Similarly, Disability Etiquette is an excellent tool for community-based organizations that want to offer disability-focused customer service training to companies in their area.

(Note: Disability Etiquette is also available in a Spanish-language version.)