Meet and Greet

Children and adults and their carers are often interacting with Politicians at a local and National level, from within their residential area or related to special topics such as Housing or Disability services. The reason for the meeting can differ across families and individual interests in Politics and individual needs for interacting with Politics alters how important the meet and greet can be. Being able to stand still and wait whilst conversations take place, being able to stand still and wait in a queue to have your turn. Knowing the difference in how to stay still and smile politely versus how to say your name and a bit about yourself. Knowing how to express your interests and needs for interaction in an appropriate time frame so that you don’t interrupt the flow of the meet and greet as an event. Being able to adjust the conversation content for local politicians, to national politicians, to local business owners to celebrities within a short meet and greet time frame is a challenge for most people. Politicians move in and out of different portfolio’s within areas at a local and national level dependent on where they are voted in or assigned. They need to learn and this can be visible that they are new to certain types of disability complexity which is appropriate as it may be rare in a local area or at a national level to have a politician who has a medical degree, health care degree or who has personal experience with disability / healthcare.