Reaching out to potential volunteers with disabilities
Abstract
This effective practice presents important considerations when planning recruitment efforts for attracting people with disabilities as volunteers. Excerpted from the Effective Practices Guide to Creating Inclusive and Accessible Days of Service (2002), written in collaboration by City Cares, Points of Light Foundation, and Youth Service America, through a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service.Issue
In order to achieve the outcome of an inclusive service project, it is necessary to make appropriate outreach efforts to people with disabilities.Action
Recruitment and Outreach
The first thing to realize when recruiting people with disabilities as volunteers is that they are present in the community, not segregated into "special" gathering places. Therefore, people with disabilities will be in the audience when you present at schools, churches, clubs, etc. All presentations should acknowledge the desire to have people with disabilities participate in volunteer activities and the willingness of the organization to make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities.
Targeted Recruitment
Many people with disabilities are supported by community residential, educational, recreational and/or employment service providers. Additionally, there are numerous nonprofits that exist as consumer advocacy organizations. The simplest place to start is with your local telephone directory to look up agencies associated with disability services. In addition, many state websites are good sources for disability related agencies.
Program Planning Group
If you have a planning group to coordinate your event, take a look at who is participating and use these stakeholders to generate interest among volunteers with disabilities. Have them generate ideas around how to get the message out and recruit, provide contacts, and actually go out and speak to groups regarding the upcoming event.Considerations include:
- As you create visibility around this event in your community and begin to attract more volunteers with disabilities, make sure you follow-through on contacts that emerge through the process. Even if they don't pan out now, they could be a great resource for future work.
- Promote your activities through all available brochures, mailings, listservs, websites, newsletters, or other venues of your own organization and the organizations that support or advocate for people with disabilities. Be sure to include:
- A description of the event and volunteer opportunities available;
- Information on in-service, training, and support activities associated with the event;
- A description of people with disabilities involved;
- Supporters and funders;
- How people can get involved;
- Accommodations provided; and
- Point of contact for more information on the service event.
- The combined list for these materials should cover volunteers, funders and potential funders, media, corporations, etc. In this way, you are creating visibility about your efforts not only among potential volunteers, but also among current and future partners.
- Incorporate language or symbols on promotion methods you already use that indicate your service opportunities are accessible and inclusive of all volunteers. Allow for potential volunteers to indicate (prior to the day of service) what specific assistance they may need in participating fully in the day of service.
- Consult with or involve people with disabilities in the development of the recruitment plan and delivery of the message for the service event. As you begin this work keep an eye out for interested board members, community leaders, and dynamic volunteers who might like to give presentations or create publicity or who might know the best resources for creating accessible promotional material.
- When thinking about making your message accessible, don't forget to check out alternative formats and how they can increase the access people with disabilities have to your message.
- In anticipation of the day's events, your organization should secure adequate insurance coverage. Specific insurance for people with disabilities is not required, nor should specialized waivers be developed. Individuals with disabilities should sign the same waivers required of any other volunteer if needed. In order to avoid discrimination claims, the wording "reasonable accommodations" should be used in any waivers signed by all volunteers.
Consider the Format when Communicating the Message
Web Sites
Print Material
Audio Material
Context
The Effective Practices Guide to Creating Inclusive and Accessible Days of Service is a product of a year-long initiative conducted by the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, which was funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Through the grant, the Points of Light Foundation worked in partnership with Compeer Inc. and Volunteers of America to engage 20 Volunteer Centers and two state associations of Volunteer Centers in volunteer-service activities. The grant resulted in the participation of over 2,900 volunteers with disabilities in 60 service days throughout the year 2001.
Citation
Effective Practices Guide to Creating Inclusive and Accessible Days of Service 2002. Written in collaboration by City Cares, Points of Light Foundation, and Youth Service America. Additional contributions by Compeer, Inc. and Volunteers of America. Through a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service.Outcome
According to Robert K. Goodwin, president and chief executive officer of the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, "This report represents what we hope will emerge as a successful process for including persons with disabilities that any organization can utilize when planning volunteer service activities. The outcomes align perfectly with our goal to engage more people in the vital work of contributing to their communities and helping solve serious social problems."Posted On
September 12, 2002Resources
From The Resource Center library:
Effective Practices Guide to Creating Inclusive and Accessible Days of Service
Item number: R2180
Source Documents
Related Practices
Related sites
National Service Inclusion Project