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 to a person with a hearing impairment, you should:

Cover your mouth

Speak as fast as possible

Turn away while talking

Look directly at them so they can lip-read

2 / 25

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

Questions asked very quickly

Long, complex questions

Short, simple questions that require short answers

Questions requiring detailed explanations

3 / 25

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

Write things down on paper

Have someone else speak for them

Use very complex technical terms

Only use gestures and avoid writing

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

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

Be patient, attentive, and encouraging

Avoid asking them questions

Correct their speech frequently

Finish their sentences for them

6 / 25

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

Move them quickly to the bus

Grab their arm and start leading

Speak only to their companion

Identify yourself verbally and offer to help

7 / 25

When offering help to ambulatory passengers, you should:

Offer assistance and wait until your offer is accepted

Insist on helping even if they refuse

Help them without asking

Never offer help unless they ask first

8 / 25

What should you do if an ambulatory passenger refuses help?

Leave immediately

Argue with them until they accept

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

Force assistance for their own safety

9 / 25

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

Stand behind them

Avoid eye contact

Speak to their companion instead

Speak directly to that person

10 / 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

11 / 25

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

Ask passengers what they need and how best to help

Avoid asking questions to save time

Rely on standard procedures without asking

Decide on their own what is best for each passenger

12 / 25

When communicating with passengers, operators should:

Assume all people with the same disability have the same needs

Never assume anything

Assume they cannot understand instructions

Assume they do not want to talk

13 / 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 length of the route

Only the temperature inside the bus

Only the time of day

14 / 25

One general attitude operators should always show is:

Patience and courtesy

Impatience to stay on schedule

Minimal interaction

Strictness and formality

15 / 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

Detach them without asking

Store them far from the passenger

16 / 25

When addressing people by first name, you should:

Use first names only for people with disabilities

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

Use first names only when you are in a hurry

Never use first names

17 / 25

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

Inform the person what you are doing before you do it

Use only hand signals

Ask only their companion

Act quickly without explanation

18 / 25

The “ASK” formula for customer satisfaction stands for:

Attention + Support + Knowledge

Awareness + Sensitivity + Kindness

Attitude + Service + Kindness

Attitude + Skill + Knowledge

19 / 25

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

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

Offer your left arm only

Walk behind them and push lightly

Take the cane and walk in front

20 / 25

The same disability can affect people:

Only physically, never emotionally

Only in predictable ways

In exactly the same way all the time

In different ways at different times

21 / 25

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

Move at your own normal pace regardless

Let other passengers decide the pace

Always move as quickly as possible

Let the person with the disability set the pace

22 / 25

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

Shout from a distance

Gesture with your hand or touch them lightly

Clap loudly near their ear

Flick the bus lights on and off

23 / 25

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

Assume they know what is happening

Move the chair without warning to save time

Ask their companion instead of them

Tell them what you are doing

24 / 25

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

Ask their companion all questions

See the person first, not the disability

Avoid speaking directly with them

Focus mainly on the disability to avoid mistakes

25 / 25

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

Ask someone else to interpret without trying yourself

Pretend you understood

Say so and repeat what you did understand

Ignore the misunderstanding

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.