Including people with disabilities when recruiting for national service

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Abstract

The opportunity to serve should be made available to all, including individuals with disabilities. National service programs shared ideas on how to recruit and accommodate individuals with disabilities during a workshop entitled, "ServiceAbilities: Disabled Participants Discuss Inclusion in National Service" at the 2001 National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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Issue

Sometimes people with disabilities are excluded from participating in national service -- this hurts us all. Inclusion can be achieved with basic accommodation. It is hard to characterize people and their disabilities, but special populations may need special approaches to encourage recruitment and participation.

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Action

Effective practices in dealing with people with disabilities in service roles include:
  • Evaluate each situation individually.
  • Always use a good job description when interviewing a potential volunteer.
  • Ask questions to include, not exclude individuals from service.
  • Keep individuals involved with reasonable accommodation.
  • Employers/recruiters cannot ask specifically about an applicant's disability. Ask whether applicants can do the job.

Potential costs and considerations of reasonable accommodation. Organizations should budget a few hundred dollars per year for accommodations.

  • Equal access to information
  • Equal access to facilities
  • Provision for interpreters, readers, and auxiliary aids
  • Policies and procedures for providing accommodation
  • Inclusion in social events that are part of the organization
  • TTY (teletype)
  • Real time captioning, Braille publications, or other assistive communication methods

Develop a plan to recruit potential volunteers with disabilities. Consider the following sites for potential recruitment opportunities and assistance in recruiting individuals with disabilities:

  • University and college campus disabled student councils
  • Student disabilities services offices (located on all university and college campuses -- will loan free equipment)
  • Centers for independent living
  • Self-advocacy organizations
  • Support groups for people with disabilities
  • The Arc (formerly the Association for Retarded Citizens)
  • Senior centers
  • State and county departments of social services
  • State rehabilitation councils - Every state was federally mandated to provide a Rehabilitation Council by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1992 and 1998. Many states have a separate Rehabilitation Council for the state agency, which serves persons who are blind or who have visual impairments.
  • ADA & IT Technical Assistance Centers 1-800-949-4232 The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) has established ten regional centers to provide information, training, and technical assistance to employers, people with disabilities, and other entities with responsibilities under the ADA. Each center works closely with local business, disability, governmental, rehabilitation, and other professional networks to provide ADA information and assistance, placing special emphasis on meeting the needs of small businesses.
  • United Cerebral Palsy is the leading source of information on cerebral palsy and is a pivotal advocate for the rights of persons with any disability. It's mission is to advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, through a commitment to the principles of independence, inclusion and self-determination.
  • The National Mentoring Center strengthens existing mentoring programs and supports new ones by providing multifaceted training, technical assistance, and resource materials addressing fundamental components of successful programs to juvenile mentoring projects, school staff, community members, and parents.

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Posted On

August 16, 2001

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For More Information

Sue Lin
National Service Inclusion Project - University of Massachusetts

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