safety alertalert exclamation

If you are in danger, please use a safer computer, call 911 or your local hotline or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233 voice), 1-800-787-3224 (tty). There is always a computer trail, but you can click ESCAPE to leave the site quickly.

home>addressing accessibility>addressing individual needs>respiratory functions>

Communication Environment & Respiration

Issues Related to the Communication Environment

Chemicals released from products and materials used in construction, renovation, and maintenance of buildings, and inadequate ventilation can cause a range of communication barriers for people with functional limitations related to respiration.  Common physical reactions include headaches, breathing problems, dizziness, and short term memory loss.   Depending on their level of respiratory function, the indoor environment may make it difficult for some people to remain alert and attentive while communicating with others.  People with respiratory limitiations may also act more quickly in response to emergency communication like fire alarms or smoke detectors.

Examples of Problems

  • A provider is reviewing the organization's confidentiality policy with a survivor who has chemical sensitivities.  The provider's perfume combined with the poor ventilation in the small office, however, have made it very difficult for the survivor to concentrate.  She leaves the provider's office having no real sense of the organization's confidentiality policy and how it applies to her. 
  • During a counseling session, a survivor yawns frequently,  Not realizing that this is an attempt on th part of the individual to get a full breath, the provider assumes that the survivor is either bored or very tired.  She suggests that they end the session early.  

Suggested Solutions

  • Ensuring a safe and healthy environment for people with respiratory limitations requires the awareness and cooperation of everyone involved in the program. The provider's commitment to a healthy indoor environment should be available in printed materials and reinforced verbally. 
  • Fragrances such as perfume, scented body lotion, and air fresheners can adversely affect people with chemical sensitivities.  You may want to consider adopting a "fragrance-free" policy for your workplace.
  • Familiarize your staff and volunteers with the common physical reactions people with respiratory limitations experience so that your program will be prepared to recognize signs of poor indoor air quality and take the steps to improve it.