Tips for Managing Volunteers With Disabilities

Nonprofit leaders who work with disabled volunteers says charities can take several easy steps

to create a welcoming environment for them.

Start by being straightforward, says Gillian Friedman, executive director of Ability Awareness, in Cosa Mesa, Calif., which recruits disabled volunteers.

“If you ask people if they are able to do something, they are going to give you a good idea if they are capable of doing it,” she says.

Working with people who have disabilities requires openness and sensitivity to their needs and their abilities, says Paula Sotnik, director of the National Service Inclusion Project, in Boston, which trains staff members in government-run volunteer programs like AmeriCorps to work with volunteers who have disabilities.

Although different people with the same disability will have different needs and preferences, a few guidelines can help, says Ms. Sotnik.

Make it easy for people to join in. Consider accessibility not only for the job itself but also for any meetings or special events that volunteers will be attending, says Dr. Friedman. For example, Ms. Sotnik says, when she is going to a meeting in a room where people will be seated at several tables, “I automatically go around the room and pull out a chair at every table so that people in wheelchairs can choose which table they want to sit at and don’t have to wait for someone to pull out a chair. We have straws on the table for people who need to drink with straws. We always face the audience when we speak. We don’t talk over each other. If we’re talking to someone who is blind, we always introduce ourselves and the people we are speaking with.”

And be sure volunteers are able not only to get to the event but also that they will be able to use the restroom there, Dr. Friedman adds.

Consider the needs of blind volunteers. Hope McMath, director of education at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, in Jacksonville, Fla., says that when she escorts visually impaired volunteers on a tour of the premises during orientation, she takes three times as long as if the workers were sighted.

“Giving the tour to someone who’s blind means explaining the general placement of things — which door is the art studio and which is the restroom, where to find materials they will need, and where the emergency exits are,” she says.

If walking with someone who is blind, offer an arm instead of taking the blind person’s arm, so the person with the visual handicap is the one in control — guiding himself or herself instead of being pushed or pulled, says Ms. McMath.

Communicate clearly. Talk directly to someone who is blind or deaf or otherwise disabled, suggests Ms. McMath. Many people tend to address the person’s companion instead.

It is best to face the volunteer and speak clearly, says Michelle Coleman, development associate at the Hearing, Speech, and Deafness Center, in Bellingham, Wash. “Try not to speak too fast — slow it down a little bit — and don’t put things in front of your mouth, because that makes it harder to read your lips.”

Using vivid facial expressions and descriptive gestures when talking helps convey information to someone who is hearing impaired. Writing things down is another option, as is using a sign-language interpreter.

When a group of people includes a visually impaired volunteer, each person should introduce himself or herself so the disabled person will be able to identify who is who by their voices, says Ms. Sotnik.

Respect volunteers’ personal space. When working with people who use wheelchairs, think of the chair as a part of their body, says Pam Zeutenhorst, manager of volunteer services at the Volunteer Center of the Redwoods, in Eureka, Calif., which matches volunteers with opportunities at nonprofit organizations. “Don’t grab it, because it’s a part of them,” she says.

Make events and presentations accessible to all. Ms. Sotnik offers some concrete suggestions along these lines:

• While planning an event, ask if anyone prefers alternative format or materials or accommodations to participate, and provide a copy of speeches or notes so that people with hearing disabilities can refer to it during the presentation and interpreters can familiarize themselves with the material.

• Put captions on films, slide shows and videotapes.

• Describe all visual aids and read aloud the text on overhead projections.

• Signs that use symbols are easier to understand for people with learning, cognitive, or visual disabilities. Large black print on nonglossy white paper, typed in both uppercase and lowercase letters, is easiest to read.

• Good lighting is important for people who read lips and for people with visual disabilities. Do not stand or walk between speakers or interpreters and their audience.

• Reserve upfront seating for people with hearing and visual disabilities to use if they like.

• Avoid flashing and flickering lights and loud noises, which can trigger seizures.

The National Inclusion Service Project has more tips on its Web site.