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Enhancing Inclusion in Volunteer Programs 101

Ames, IowaNovember-16-2011

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www.serviceandinclusion.org

Toll-free hotline: 888-491-0326 (voice/TTY)

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National Partnerships

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Housekeeping and Logistics

• Sign-in sheets• Evaluations• Restrooms• Fidgets

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Please Introduce Yourself

• Please share with us:

–Your name

–What organization do you work for? What is your role in the organization?

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Share With Your Table

What experience(s) have you had in the past with inclusion of people with disabilities?

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What are your “burning questions” about the inclusion of people with disabilities?

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“People—diverse, passionate and committed—make America strong.

Through national service and volunteering, Americans from all

walks of life contribute to their communities and the nation.”

- CNCS 2011 - 2015 Strategic Plan

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Trivia!

What is the world’s largest minority group?•People with disabilities

•The number of people with disabilities is increasing through population growth, medical advances and the increasing aging populationUN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, “Some Facts about Persons with Disabilities”, http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/facts.shtml

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Who are people with disabilities?

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“Disability” as Defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act &

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)• A physical or mental impairment that substantially

limits one or more major life activities

• A history or record of such an impairment

• Being regarded as having such an impairment, even when no limitations exist

• Someone who has an association with someone with a disability

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“Major Life Activity” is Anything an Average Person Can Do with Little or No Difficulty

Major life activities include, but are not limited to:

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“Substantially limits”

…unable to perform, or significantly limited in the ability to perform, an activity as compared with an average person. Factors to be considered are:

1. Its nature and severity2. How long it will last or is expected to last, and3. Its permanent or long-term impact, or expected

impact

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Exclusions from Coverage Defined by the Law

• Current drug use is not protected by the ADA

• Temporary, non-chronic impairments that do not last for a long time and that have little or no long term impact

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Disability Facts• 19.5 million people, or 9.9% of Americans have a

disability. • Almost 380,000 Iowans have a disability. That’s 13.5%

of your state’s population. • In the US, about 34.7% of people with disabilities are

employed, compared to 71.9 % of people without a disability.

From the 2009 American Community Survey (Conducted by the US Census Bureau). See Center for Personal Assistance’s website for Iowa’s data: http://www.pascenter.org/state_based_stats/disability_stats/index.php?state=iowa

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Basic Disability Etiquette

• When offering assistance– Ask first– Clarify assistance desired– Preferences are different– Be comfortable with “no”

• Always direct communication to the person with a disability, not to his or her companion, assistant or interpreter.

• Treat adults as adults

• Make a mistake? Apologize, correct, learn and move on

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A service animal is typically a dog individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government.

Basic Disability Etiquette

• Do not touch or pet the service animal without permission

• Do not try to distract the service animal as it may distract the animal from doing its job

• Do not feed the service animal because it may disrupt his/her schedule

• The person may not feel like discussing the assistance the Service Animal provides

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LanguageWhy should you avoid saying…

- “cripple”?- Derived from an old German term

“kripple” which means “to be without power” which is completely untrue

- “handicapped”?- Comes from a history of people with

disabilities having to beg “cap in hand” because they were not allowed to work

- “wheelchair bound”?- A wheelchair is a means for mobility

and freedom, not something that restricts anyone

Person First Language• The key is to use “person first” language because

people with disabilities are human first and have a disability second

• For example…– “A volunteer with epilepsy” instead of an

epileptic– “ The woman uses her wheelchair” instead of

she is wheelchair bound– “A boy with an intellectual disability” instead of

“a retarded child”– “ A person without a disability” instead of a

normal person. Barrier Free World http://www.sterlingfrazer.com/BFW/BFWHome.html

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Most often, it’s best to call someone by

name, not by a label.

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Why is Inclusion important?

– What do YOU think is the most important reason to be more inclusive of people with disabilities

– Share your reason with your group. – As a group, combine your reasons to create a

30 second (or less) “sound bite” to explain why disability inclusion is important to national service and volunteer programs.

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Laws that Support Inclusion

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

1. Federally conducted programs2. Federal contractors and grantees3. Federally assisted programs

• Americans with Disabilities Act

• Serve America Act

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What’s Your Vision for Inclusion?

What would successful inclusion look like in your program?

Take a moment to write a short vision statement and write it on your action planning poster.

“If we are to achieve a richer culture… we must weave one in which each diverse

human gift will find a fitting place” - Margaret Meade

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Creating an Inclusive Environment

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What is Access? There are five different types of Access programs should think about…•Architectural•Programmatic•Technology•Communication•Alternate formats

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Universal Design

How can we make

EVERYTHING accessible to

EVERYONE??

How can we make

EVERYTHING accessible to

EVERYONE??

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Universal Design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all

people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or

specialized design

- Center for Universal Design, North Carolina State University

For example…

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Provide essential information in different modes

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Flexible Use

How does this playground use Universal Design?

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Activity• Find at least one example of Universal Design in this

training. – (More than one example will earn you bonus

points!)• Think of at least two changes you could make to this

training in order to make it more universally accessible. – (More than two examples will earn you extra double

bonus points!)

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• Individuals with disabilities are full participants in program and service activities

• Expectations for individuals with disabilities are the same as for everyone

• All participants are asked about their experiences and satisfaction; their input is carefully assessed

• Access is considered in the design of every aspect of the program.

• An inclusive service program recognizes and maximizes individual skills while strengthening everyone’s abilities.

Indicators of a Welcoming Service Program

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Taking Action…

What is one way your program can use universal design to improve your accessibility?

Take a moment to write an action step on your action planning poster.

“To be free is not only to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the

freedom of others” – Nelson Mandela

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Inclusive Outreach and Recruitment

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ImagesImages

WordsWords

FormatsFormats

Recruiting a diverse pool of volunteers

• Think about what you say in your recruiting materials

• Think about the images you use in your recruiting materials

• Think about what formats you use to recruit your volunteers

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What you say

“Qualified individuals with disabilities and those from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. We provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals and conduct all activities in fully accessible settings.”

“We are an equal opportunity program or organization.”

WordsWords

The images you use

• Include pictures of people with disabilities in your recruitment materials

• Communicate to students with disabilities that they will be valued members of your team

• Communicate to others that your organization values the contribution of all volunteers.

ImagesImages

The formats you use

• Ensure that your materials can be accessed by individuals with a varied array of abilities

• Electronic files can be printed larger, emailed to interested students, read by screen reader programs, etc.

• Have your videos captioned (or caption them yourself in YouTube!)– click here to learn more about captioning on

youtube!

FormatsFormats

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What is a “Qualified Individual with a Disability”?

• Someone who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without accommodations

• Someone who meets the qualifications/certifications that the program has in place

• Remember, someone may be able to perform an essential function in an unexpected way

Inclusive Service Descriptions

• In your group, think of two ways you could change this service description to make it more accessible to candidates with disabilities

• Where might you go to recruit qualified individuals with disabilities for this position?

• What information do you think might be missing from this service description?

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Elements of an Inclusive Service Description

• Service position title• Full or part time• Supervisor/title• Service position

summary• Essential functions• Marginal functions• Working

relationships

• Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Academic qualifications

• Service conditions• Physical, emotional,

intellectual demands • Equipment used

Inclusive Service Descriptions

What is Essential?• Position exists to perform a specific function• Limited number of others who can do the function• Function is specialized; person selected because

of expertise

What is Marginal?• Tasks are preferential or secondary to essential

functions• Can be traded or done by another volunteer

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Where can you recruit interested people with disabilities?

• Disability organizations

• College and University Offices for Students with Disabilities

• US Department of Veteran’s Affairs

• State and local Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies

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Inclusive InterviewingMeet Carrie and Warren…

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If you were Carrie what questions would you ask in your interview with Warren?

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If you agree, hold up a GREEN card

If you disagree, hold up a RED card

1. “Carrie asked appropriate questions”2. “Warren is a good candidate for this position”3. “I want to know more about Warren’s disability”4. “Warren should not have mentioned his disability

during the interview”5. “The interview went well”

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Interview Questions that are OK• Are you able to perform the essential functions of this

position, with or without reasonable accommodations?

• Can you describe how you would perform the following job functions (followed by a list of service duties)?

• Ask:– How would you?– What would you do if?– How long would it take to?

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Interview Questions that are NOT OK

• Do you have a disability?

• Do you have any physical or mental impairments which might limit you in performing this job?

• Have you ever collected workers’ compensation?

• What medical conditions do you have?

• What information can you tell me about your disability?

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Reasons for not Disclosing

• Culture of program environment– “Gossipy”– Excessively competitive– Racially insensitive

• Fear of potential reactions• Refusal by others to share equipment• Not relevant

• Stigma associated with disability

• Need to disclose to other people outside of service program first

*Information collected by research project at ICI

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Impact for not Disclosing

• Social isolation– Did not get close to people for fear of personal

questions

• Feel compelled to misrepresent

• Report less support than people who did disclose

• Stress of keeping the secret

• Unable to request accommodations

*Information collected by research project at ICI

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Things to Remember about Disclosure

- It is up to each individual to: - Decide if they wish to disclose their disability- Decide how much information they wish to disclose about their

disability- Decide who has access to information about their disability

• If an individual discloses a disability, that information must be maintained confidentially and cannot be disclosed to others

–May share information regarding disabilities if member provides approval in writing or alternative verifiable method

– HR personnel and supervisors are trained/informed in the confidentiality of medical, disability and accommodation-related information

More Hints on Interviewing...

Offer the availability of accommodations prior to the interview

If someone discloses a disability, offer the availability of and process for acquiring accommodations

Do not ask for details about a requested accommodation during the interview

Not everyone with a disability needs an accommodation

Ask (and document) the same questions of everyone

Ask how the person would accomplish concrete tasks

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Taking Action…

What is one way your program can make your outreach, recruitment and selection efforts more inclusive?

Take a moment to write an action step on your action planning poster.

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Member and Volunteer Management

Asset-Based Management

• Match each participants’ strengths to the essential functions of a position.

• Encourage team members to share their strengths.

• Help each individual maximize their potential

What is an accommodation?

• Modification or adjustment to the application process

• Modification or adjustment to the work environment that enable an individual with a disability to perform essential functions

• Modification or adjustments that enable the member/volunteer to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of service

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Who needs to provide accommodations?

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act applies to: -Federally conducted programs-Federal contractors and grantees-Federally assisted programsThe Americans with Disabilities Act applies to many other programs.

What do you think?

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Disability vs. Poor Performance

• Are specific tasks not being properly performed?

• What are the issues present beyond typical tolerance for performance variations?

• How are performance issues typically handled?

• Is the person aware of performance issue?

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Tips for Managers• Clear communication is key!

– Communicate policies to all program staff

– Communicate clearly defined expectations to all volunteers and members in more than one way

• Establish an inclusive service environment

– Work to create a culture that is accepting of differences

– Respect each individual’s right choose what personal information they disclose.

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Taking Action…

What is one way your program can make your member management more inclusive?

Take a moment to write an action step on your action planning poster.

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Applying Inclusion

• Case studies

• Work with your tables on scenarios.

• We will share our finding with the large group

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Wrap-up

• Overview of what we learned

• Action planning – complete any new ideas, resources, action steps for your program

• Questions and Answers

• Evaluations

• Applause for your hard work

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Visit our website!

Information on our electronic resources is available in your folder!

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Click to edit Master title styleContact Information:

National Service Inclusion Project888.491.0326 [V/TTY]

NSIP@UMB.EDU

www.SERVICEandINCLUSION.org