Series 5-10: Communicating With Your Passengers – Intro

The “Communicating With Your Passengers” section of the Alberta School Bus Knowledge Test highlights the importance of clear and respectful interaction between drivers and students.

Alberta School Bus Test - SERIES 5-10: Communicating With Your Passengers – Intro

1 / 25

When speaking with someone who has difficulty speaking, you should:

Correct their speech frequently

Be patient, attentive, and encouraging

Finish their sentences for them

Avoid asking them questions

2 / 25

When addressing people by first name, you should:

Use first names only when you are in a hurry

Use first names only when extending that familiarity to all others present

Never use first names

Use first names only for people with disabilities

3 / 25

Before assisting a person using a wheelchair or mobility aid, you should:

Move the chair without warning to save time

Tell them what you are doing

Assume they know what is happening

Ask their companion instead of them

4 / 25

When speaking to a person using a wheelchair for a significant period, you should:

Avoid getting too close

Stand over them at full height

Talk from behind the wheelchair

Place yourself at their eye level

5 / 25

A key principle when working with passengers with disabilities is to:

Ask their companion all questions

Avoid speaking directly with them

Focus mainly on the disability to avoid mistakes

See the person first, not the disability

6 / 25

The “ASK” formula for customer satisfaction stands for:

Attention + Support + Knowledge

Awareness + Sensitivity + Kindness

Attitude + Skill + Knowledge

Attitude + Service + Kindness

7 / 25

When talking with a person with a disability, you should:

Speak directly to that person

Stand behind them

Speak to their companion instead

Avoid eye contact

8 / 25

One general attitude operators should always show is:

Patience and courtesy

Minimal interaction

Impatience to stay on schedule

Strictness and formality

9 / 25

The same disability can affect people:

Only in predictable ways

In exactly the same way all the time

In different ways at different times

Only physically, never emotionally

10 / 25

Overall, to communicate effectively with passengers with disabilities, operators should primarily:

Decide on their own what is best for each passenger

Avoid asking questions to save time

Rely on standard procedures without asking

Ask passengers what they need and how best to help

11 / 25

When assisting a passenger with vision impairment, you should first:

Move them quickly to the bus

Grab their arm and start leading

Identify yourself verbally and offer to help

Speak only to their companion

12 / 25

A useful backup communication method with some hearing-impaired passengers is to:

Write things down on paper

Only use gestures and avoid writing

Have someone else speak for them

Use very complex technical terms

13 / 25

When guiding a person with a vision impairment who uses a cane in the right hand, you should:

Offer your left arm only

Take the cane and walk in front

Offer your right arm so they can hold it with their left hand

Walk behind them and push lightly

14 / 25

When offering help to ambulatory passengers, you should:

Insist on helping even if they refuse

Offer assistance and wait until your offer is accepted

Never offer help unless they ask first

Help them without asking

15 / 25

What should you do if an ambulatory passenger refuses help?

Argue with them until they accept

Leave immediately

Do not insist, but stay close and be ready to assist

Force assistance for their own safety

16 / 25

When speaking to a person with a hearing impairment, you should:

Look directly at them so they can lip-read

Turn away while talking

Speak as fast as possible

Cover your mouth

17 / 25

Before assisting or acting, the general communication rule is to:

Act quickly without explanation

Inform the person what you are doing before you do it

Use only hand signals

Ask only their companion

18 / 25

When communicating with passengers, operators should:

Assume they cannot understand instructions

Never assume anything

Assume all people with the same disability have the same needs

Assume they do not want to talk

19 / 25

When a passenger has a service dog, you should:

Feed the dog treats

Not touch or distract the dog without the passenger’s permission

Pet the dog to calm it

Talk to the dog instead of the passenger

20 / 25

Regarding the pace of communication and action with a person with a disability, you should:

Let other passengers decide the pace

Let the person with the disability set the pace

Always move as quickly as possible

Move at your own normal pace regardless

21 / 25

When assisting any person with a disability, operators should take into account:

Conditions like rain, ice, wind, inclines, steps, gravel, and mud

Only the temperature inside the bus

Only the length of the route

Only the time of day

22 / 25

If you do not understand what a person has said, you should:

Ask someone else to interpret without trying yourself

Ignore the misunderstanding

Pretend you understood

Say so and repeat what you did understand

23 / 25

To get the attention of a passenger with a hearing impairment, you should:

Clap loudly near their ear

Gesture with your hand or touch them lightly

Shout from a distance

Flick the bus lights on and off

24 / 25

What kind of questions are most helpful for a person who has difficulty speaking?

Short, simple questions that require short answers

Questions asked very quickly

Questions requiring detailed explanations

Long, complex questions

25 / 25

What is the guideline about mobility devices like wheelchairs and crutches?

Do not take them away unless the passenger has indicated they want them moved

Move them out of the way as soon as possible

Store them far from the passenger

Detach them without asking

Your score is

This section covers using positive language, active listening, and maintaining a calm tone, even in challenging situations. Drivers are taught to give clear instructions, address concerns promptly, and foster an atmosphere of trust and respect on the bus. Effective communication also involves understanding non-verbal cues and adapting messages for students with diverse needs. Mastery of this section ensures drivers can build positive relationships, enhance safety, and create a supportive environment for all passengers.