De-escalation and ADA Awareness Course (US): Lessons 2026

Lesson 1: A model for de-escalation

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) teaches de-escalation in four steps: Recognize, Assess, De-escalate and Report. At every step, safety is the highest priority.

Warning signs in a stranger

• Arguing or refusing to cooperate
• A clenched jaw or balled fists
• Pacing or restlessness
• Trembling or shaking
• Moving into other people's personal space
• Threats to harm themselves or others, or to use a weapon

No single sign proves a person will become violent. Look at the whole picture. Some signs can also come from a disability or a medical problem (see Lesson 4).

Required training

Many states license security officers and set their own training. For example, California's Bureau of Security and Investigative Services requires Power to Arrest training before a guard registration is issued, 32 hours of skills training in the first 6 months, and 8 hours of training every year. This course does not replace any required training.

Lesson 2: Assess and de-escalate

De-escalate yourself first. Stay calm, or act calm if you are not. Control your breathing and relax your body. Then look at the setting: crowds, noise and onlookers make it harder to calm someone. If you can, move bystanders away.

Words that help

• Speak calmly and do not raise your voice.
• Slow down. A slower pace is more soothing.
• Listen fully: nod, ask questions, and do not interrupt or change the subject.
• Be courteous. "Please" and "thank you" still matter.

Body language

• Stand relaxed and alert, off to the side of the person, not squarely in front.
• Keep your hands down, open and visible.
• Move slowly. Avoid pacing, big gestures and pointing.
• Keep a neutral, attentive face. Do not fake a smile.
• Keep a safe distance and do not touch the person.

Avoid things that block de-escalation, such as being defensive, lecturing, shaming or getting into a power struggle.

Lesson 3: Know your limits and report

If violence may be about to happen, remove yourself and get to safety, then call 911. If things are getting worse but no one is in immediate danger, call for security or police backup and move to a safe spot.

What to tell 911

• Your name
• Where the incident is, and your exact location
• Where the person is now
• A description of the person and what is happening
• The number and type of weapons, if known

Report concerns based on facts about behavior. CISA warns against reporting a person only because of protected activity or because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability.

Mental health crises

If a person talks about suicide or is in emotional distress, they can call or text 988 or chat online with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It is free, confidential and open 24/7. If there is an immediate danger to life, call 911.

Lesson 4: The ADA and disabilities you may not see

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law. A person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, have a record of one, or are regarded as having one.

• Title II covers state and local governments.
• Title III covers businesses and nonprofits that serve the public, such as stores, restaurants, hotels and movie theaters.

When a disability looks like bad behavior

• A person who is deaf or hard of hearing may not hear your directions and may look uncooperative. Get their attention with a visual signal, face them, and write things down.
• Swaying, grimacing or confusion may come from a seizure, low blood sugar or a neurological disability, not alcohol.
• Low blood sugar can cause a fast heartbeat, shaking, sweating, irritability or confusion, dizziness and hunger.
• DOJ says behavior caused by a disability should not be treated as a crime when no crime has been committed.

Seizure first aid (CDC)

• Stay with the person and keep others calm.
• Move anything nearby that could hurt them, and time the seizure.
• Do not hold them down and do not put anything in their mouth.
• Call 911 if it lasts more than 5 minutes, another seizure follows soon after, they have trouble breathing or waking, they are hurt, it happens in water, or it is their first seizure.

Communicating effectively

Businesses must communicate effectively with people who have vision, hearing or speech disabilities. For a simple exchange, like giving directions, a notepad and pen is often enough. Complex matters may need an interpreter or another aid. A business cannot require a person to bring their own interpreter, and a child may interpret only in an emergency when no qualified interpreter is available.

Lesson 5: Service animals and mobility devices

Under the ADA, a service animal is a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability, such as guiding a person who is blind or alerting a person who is deaf. Dogs whose only role is comfort or emotional support are not service animals under the ADA. Trained miniature horses have separate rules.

What you may ask

When it is not obvious what the dog does, you may ask only two questions:

1. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

You may not ask about the person's disability, ask for medical papers, an ID card or training records, or ask the dog to show its task.

When an animal may be removed

• The dog is out of control and the handler does not take effective action.
• The dog is not housebroken.

If you must remove the animal, offer the person the goods or services without it. Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons to refuse access; where possible, give the people different areas. A service dog is harnessed, leashed or tethered unless that interferes with its work or the disability prevents it. Do not charge fees that other customers do not pay.

Wheelchairs and other devices

• People using wheelchairs and manual mobility aids may go into all areas where the public is allowed.
• Other power-driven mobility devices, like Segways, must generally be allowed unless that type of device cannot be accommodated because of legitimate safety requirements based on actual risks.
• You may ask for credible assurance that the device is used because of a disability, but not about the disability. A valid state disability placard or card must be accepted.