Community Involvement: Disability & Volunteerism
Information on volunteer participation by people with disabilities, and disability-themed volunteer project ideas.

A Multimedia Resource for Inclusive Community Service

October 30, 2002 The National Service Inclusion Project helps community service programs include volunteers with disabilities. Through text, audio, and photos, this resource gives guidance on disability awareness, accommodations for volunteers, and excerpts from interviews with 23 national service program participants with disabilities.

Tips on Working with Disabled Volunteers

September 18, 2002 Volunteer management expert Nan Hawthorne addresses misconceptions that deter volunteer project managers - and, similarly, potential employers - from recruiting workers with disabilities. Links to additional resources are included.

Volunteerism by Persons with Developmental Disabilities

April 30, 2002 This feature issue of the Institute on Community Integration's 'Impact' newsletter explores ways to increase the involvement of individuals with developmental disabilities in community life through volunteer activities.

Lend a Hand!: Ideas for Disability Service Projects

January 26, 2002 Are you or your group interested in doing disability-related service projects? This list gives many ideas for what you and your group can do to help out, organized by subject area. This list also includes a number of links to resources to help you get going with your project, as well as best practice examples from N.O.D.'s award programs so you can see what other groups have done.

Things to Consider Before Working on Disability-Related Projects

October 11, 2001 If you don't have much personal experience relating to people with disabilities -- or even if you do – we hope you will consider the following suggestions.

Why Work on Disability-Related Service Projects?

October 11, 2001 Describes why volunteers should consider working with the disability community to promote access and increase understanding.

Educate Yourself About Disability Issues

October 10, 2001 A first step is to learn a little bit more about the issues that people with various types of disabilities face and how people with disabilities generally like to be treated . . . .

Make Your Community Meetings Accessible to People with Disabilities

October 09, 2001 In order to promote the full participation of community members with disabilities, meetings must be made accessible.

Include People with Disabilities In Your Volunteer Work!

October 08, 2001 People with disabilities, long on the receiving end of volunteer services, are increasingly looking to contribute their talents to volunteer projects.

Host Disability Awareness Events That Are Open to the Entire Community

October 07, 2001 Locate speakers to give a presentation to your community on any disability topic that you might find interesting.

Determine the Physical Accessibility of Your Community and Advocate for Improvement

October 06, 2001 There are a number of ways that you can determine the accessibility of your community.

Set Up a Disability Awareness Committee in Your Group

October 06, 2001 If you have a number of members interested in disability issues in your group, consider setting up a disability awareness committee.

Help Make Your Congregation Accessible and Welcoming to People with Disabilities

October 05, 2001 Physical and attitudinal access to worship is an important aspect of community inclusion of people with disabilities.

Work with Local Libraries to Make Their Services Accessible and Useful to People with Disabilities

October 04, 2001 Your local library can provide many much needed services to people with disabilities.

Enable People with Disabilities to Access Local Museums and the Arts

October 03, 2001 Access to local culture and creative life is an important component of community involvement.

Help Children with Disabilities Interact with Children Who Don't Have Disabilities

October 02, 2001 Too often children with disabilities are segregated from their peers.

Share Your Group's Specific Mission with Children with Disabilities

October 01, 2001 Does your group have a particular mission, such as educating children about their roles as citizens, encouraging environmentalism, or increasing political participation? If so, share that mission with children with disabilities!

Help Provide Respite Care for Parents of Children with Disabilities

September 30, 2001 Parents of children with severe disabilities often must work very hard to care for their children, often with little or no support from others.

Help Raise Funds for Disability Organizations

September 29, 2001 Money is often (if not always) in short supply for disability advocacy groups.

Help Expand Voting and Civic Awareness in the Disability Community

September 28, 2001 Participating in and contributing to our political system is a key to gaining equality for people with disabilities.

Engage in Political Advocacy

September 27, 2001 There are always a number of issues that need political advocacy to address.

Serve as a Reader for People Who Are Blind or Have Learning Disabilities

September 26, 2001 There is a wealth of printed material out there that is inaccessible to people who are blind or who have learning disabilities.

Learn Sign Language

September 25, 2001 Learning sign language can be a lot of fun and can open up a whole new world of communication with people who are deaf.

Help Make Private Homes Accessible

September 24, 2001 Many people need the support of qualified builders to have ramps and other accessibility features added to their houses.

Help People with Disabilities With Tasks Like Yardwork or Housework

September 23, 2001 A basic and very useful form of service that you can engage in is locating people who need help with house or yard work.

Volunteer to Distribute Meals and Groceries to People with Disabilities Who Are Unable to Shop

September 22, 2001 This very basic and very vital service can make a big difference in someone's life.

Visit with People with Disabilities and Seniors Who Are Isolated

September 21, 2001 Isolation is an unfortunate fact of life for many people with disabilities. Get in touch with people and let them know that they are remembered and valued.

Help People with Disabilities Access the Natural World

September 20, 2001 One major difficulty that many people with disabilities have is finding ways to interact with and get in touch with the natural world.

Involve People with Disabilities in Sports and Recreational Events

September 19, 2001 Anyone with a body can be an athlete! Here are some links to find out more.

Simulate What It's Like to Have a Disability

September 18, 2001 This can be an interesting excercise to lead groups through, and can be a way to both help your group understand the challenges that people with disabilities face in their daily lives.

Help Translate Disability Materials and Documents into Other Languages

September 17, 2001 If you have experience with another language, try helping to translate particularly important ones for citizens who do not speak English well.

Encourage Theaters to Schedule Open-Captioned Films for People Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Your Neighborhood

September 16, 2001 People who are deaf or hard-of-hearing like movies as much as anyone else!