The attitude of society over the years toward people with disabilities has been pretty negative. An abundant amount of evidence supports the notion that people with disabilities continually grapple with personal and institutional challenges, including labeling, misconceptions, discrimination, and unfair treatment. As well, we also have considerable trouble engaging within the larger non-disabled world and face considerable problems with unemployment and poor access to quality education.
While enormous efforts have been made to close this unfair gap between the disabled and society, a culture of indifference on the part of people and institutions will not go away anytime soon. The thing that ultimately earns us respect and dignity is how we conduct ourselves toward others with decency, nobility, and class.
Diplomatic communication and its principles
Diplomacy is a skill and tact in dealing with other people. Diplomatic communication is respectful and tactful communication with others—with sign language or other means of communication.
Diplomatic communication is showing restraint when we are ticked. But it also means speaking up, standing up for yourself, respecting yourself, listening, not letting others walk over you.
Diplomatic communication is being self-assured, being confident without being aggressive. Still, diplomacy is a tool that can improve our social skills.
We want to find a common ground when we are out there with hateful people who make us feel angry and frustrated.
Below are principles of diplomatic communication
- Diplomatic Communication is speaking up: The idea of diplomatic communication is speaking up, expressing yourself clearly within acceptable social parameters. But of course, there are going to be obnoxious people who are going to want to stop you and put you down over your self-expression, yet, it is essential to maintain your stance- strongly but respectfully. That is diplomacy. You will find that the pen is thicker than the sword.
- Diplomacy is showing restraint: Yes, people are going to run over us- walking or sleeping. They will frustrate us. They will look down on us. But our ability to deal with potentially heated events- events that will make us lose our cool is very, very essential. Restraint is restraining oneself from taking an action that we consider aggravating. This practice is very appropriate and highly charismatic. You win.
- Diplomatic Communication Thinking Twice before speaking and Hitting the Send Button: Real men and women usually think before they speak. Diplomatic men and women usually maintain calmness before they hit the send button or bring forth words out of their mouth. Well–round people always look over the words that have written before they deliver or send it.
- Diplomatic Communication is having good knowledge about the things around you, how they work and fit together: knowledge and awareness are important. For the deaf, there’s an acute need for self-awareness; but an understanding of how the world works. Our knowledge of systems, including the dynamics, can help us to further our assertiveness stance in hope of getting a concrete result. We must look at cultivating a broader mindset, humility, and self-confidence.
- Diplomatic Communication is about the use of reason, kindness, and compassion: Respect is something that’s said everyone deserves. But respect isn’t earned with money like a lot of people erroneously believe. Respect must be earned. You do the things that you must do to earn the respect that you want to earn. Period. There’s no other way to get it.
In an argument or “heated” moments, the greatest good that you can do to yourself is to show respect to another person, to try as much as you can to treat others with dignity and respect. Then, alias, watch what happens!
What diplomatic communication is:
- It is a communication style and strategy.
- It is a social and communication skill.
- It’s noble, decent, and positive.
- It is speaking up, saying NO, not aggressively but positively.
- It is listening to others.
- It is respecting oneself
- It is knowing and understanding oneself.
Diplomatic communication is the most effective way of making ourselves distinguished as people with disabilities.
Being disabled doesn’t make us aggressive beings. We are honourable people. We are human beings first and foremost.
Let the world see us- in nobility and decency, in how we deal with attitudes and contempt against people with disabilities in an indifferent society.