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

The “ASK” formula for customer satisfaction stands for:

Attitude + Skill + Knowledge

Awareness + Sensitivity + Kindness

Attention + Support + Knowledge

Attitude + Service + Kindness

2 / 25

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

Short, simple questions that require short answers

Questions requiring detailed explanations

Long, complex questions

Questions asked very quickly

3 / 25

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

Use very complex technical terms

Only use gestures and avoid writing

Have someone else speak for them

Write things down on paper

4 / 25

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

Say so and repeat what you did understand

Ignore the misunderstanding

Ask someone else to interpret without trying yourself

Pretend you understood

5 / 25

When addressing people by first name, you should:

Never use first names

Use first names only for people with disabilities

Use first names only when you are in a hurry

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

6 / 25

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

Walk behind them and push lightly

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

Take the cane and walk in front

Offer your left arm only

7 / 25

When communicating with passengers, operators should:

Never assume anything

Assume all people with the same disability have the same needs

Assume they do not want to talk

Assume they cannot understand instructions

8 / 25

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

Always move as quickly as possible

Move at your own normal pace regardless

Let the person with the disability set the pace

Let other passengers decide the pace

9 / 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

10 / 25

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

Move the chair without warning to save time

Ask their companion instead of them

Assume they know what is happening

Tell them what you are doing

11 / 25

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

Only the temperature inside the bus

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

Only the length of the route

Only the time of day

12 / 25

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

Stand over them at full height

Avoid getting too close

Place yourself at their eye level

Talk from behind the wheelchair

13 / 25

One general attitude operators should always show is:

Impatience to stay on schedule

Patience and courtesy

Strictness and formality

Minimal interaction

14 / 25

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

Avoid speaking directly with them

See the person first, not the disability

Focus mainly on the disability to avoid mistakes

Ask their companion all questions

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

Detach them without asking

Store them far from the passenger

Move them out of the way as soon as possible

16 / 25

When a passenger has a service dog, you should:

Talk to the dog instead of the passenger

Pet the dog to calm it

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

Feed the dog treats

17 / 25

When offering help to ambulatory passengers, you should:

Never offer help unless they ask first

Insist on helping even if they refuse

Offer assistance and wait until your offer is accepted

Help them without asking

18 / 25

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

Rely on standard procedures without asking

Avoid asking questions to save time

Ask passengers what they need and how best to help

Decide on their own what is best for each passenger

19 / 25

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

Be patient, attentive, and encouraging

Correct their speech frequently

Finish their sentences for them

Avoid asking them questions

20 / 25

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

Speak only to their companion

Grab their arm and start leading

Identify yourself verbally and offer to help

Move them quickly to the bus

21 / 25

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

Flick the bus lights on and off

Gesture with your hand or touch them lightly

Shout from a distance

Clap loudly near their ear

22 / 25

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

Speak to their companion instead

Stand behind them

Speak directly to that person

Avoid eye contact

23 / 25

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

Turn away while talking

Cover your mouth

Look directly at them so they can lip-read

Speak as fast as possible

24 / 25

The same disability can affect people:

In different ways at different times

Only in predictable ways

In exactly the same way all the time

Only physically, never emotionally

25 / 25

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

Act quickly without explanation

Ask only their companion

Inform the person what you are doing before you do it

Use only hand signals

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.