There is a perception that people with disabilities are limited to being the recipients of service. Volunteer managers are in a position to expand efforts to engage individuals with disabilities and challenge this perception within their own community. Read on to learn to be more inclusive as your work managing volunteers.

• Research The National Service Resource Center has an accessibility checklist that will help you get started right away. This checklist will help you determine the programmatic and physical accessibility of your service project and site. Contact one of you local disability support organizations to address any problems the checklist may reveal.
• Broaden Your Language Persons with disabilities are read to serve, but are they getting your message? recruiting materials should use welcoming language that encourages people with disabilities to apply.
• Partner Are you performing any type of outreach activity? Consider partnering with disability support organizations to plan a service project.
• Encourage open conversation For many, a disability is only an inconvenience that can be mitigated with a reasonable accommodation, which may or may not be needed to participate in your organization’s service activity. Encourage prospective volunteers to disclose a disability prior to the service activity, which allows for adequate preparation. When a prospective volunteer chooses to disclose, thank them for their willingness to share and their desire to serve. Describe the service activity and the types of work functions they will need to be able to perform the service. In most cases, an accommodation will not be necessary, but if you and the volunteer are unsure, contact one of your local disability resource centers for assistance.
• Have the appropriate technology Creating an inclusive service environment is a continuous process. Adaptive technology is evolving at an increasingly rapid rate, so it is critically important to survey your program for accessibility on an annual basis. Make inclusion a component within your strategic planning and reveal the benefits of inclusion to any that may be skeptical about its importance. Embracing equality and diversity within your volunteer service teams will benefit individuals with disabilities and those without. It sets an example for community leaders and those that aspire one day to lead.

Inclusion starts with the actions and attitudes of those within your organization; it is a value that we share. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “everyone can be great because anyone can serve”. When you take the steps to achieve an inclusion service environment, you are giving someone the chance to serve and the chance to be great!