Hi,

I recently picked up your "When you meet someone with a disability"  list at our Diocesan Convention. I'd like to offer a couple of simple  additions to the list that far too few people are aware of. I have generally invisible joint and muscle difficulties and have many  similarly "gimpy" family members and friends. On the behalf of all of us:

Do NOT greet people you don't know with a firm handshake! It's almost  impossible to tell who might have tender hand joints and in our society it is considered rude to refuse a handshake. (Some of us have reached the point of offering only our *left* hand for shaking, or of  explaining we can't shake whenever possible, but many others still suffer through too many bone-crushing handshakes.)

And MOST importantly to me----DO NOT squeeze communicants hands when administering communion  unless you know the person and *know* that it is alright.  I've encountered several clergy, including one current bishop, who accompanied the administration of the host with a hand squeeze that almost had me screaming in the middle of communion. (In retrospect, I  wish I had screamed - it might have brought home the point to the  person, especially the person who squeezed my hand during communion when I was wearing braces on both hands!)

Sincerely,

Nann Bell