COVID-19: Communication & Physical Distance

When Do Hand Signals Help?

When maintaining physical distance you can smile, share a laugh or greet another person. This may be the only time someone else interacts with another person that day.

When people are distracted, a kind word can indicate to them that you are nearby.

When people are in your path, adding respectful non-verbal gestures such as hand signals to gently spoken words can help strategize who moves where.

Either verbal or nonverbal communication can quickly indicate who will yield and which direction you will take to ensure that all parties remain 6ft/2m apart.

Be patient and considerate of people who do not quickly move out of your way or respond to your attempts to communicate. Not all disabilities are obvious.

If you tend to move slowly, tell people near you that you need time to move and ask them to take an alternate path.

The common use of facial coverings or headphones and the existence of hearing impairments are good reasons to add non-verbal gestures to your whatever usual communication style