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Disability project
Background
There are approximately 8.5 million disabled people in the UK (19% of the working age population). Disabled people remain under-represented in the work place not only as paid staff but also as volunteers. Disabled people represent a very real source of untapped potential for organisations.
Unconsciously, volunteer-using organisations may create barriers that prevent disabled people from volunteering effectively. Organisations may lack confidence and feel that their services are inaccessible to disabled volunteers. Negative stereotypes may also prevail.
Disabled people may not have considered volunteering as an option, information and literature produced by organisations may not "speak" to disabled people as potential volunteers. Frequently popular images portray disabled people as recipients of assistance from volunteers rather than as individuals having valuable skills and experience which can be used to assist others.
Volunteering can be an excellent way to do something of value on a local level, to use skills and learn new ones. It can serve as an opportunity to gain useful work experience and work references. It can also be a good way to meet new people. Disabled volunteers and volunteer-using organisations are often missing out.
Support for disabled volunteers
Islington Volunteer Centre is actively working to dismantle barriers to volunteering for disabled people. Disabled volunteers are offered support, information and advice at all stages of the volunteering process. IVC has access to hundreds of volunteering opportunities at any one time, from administration to research, gardening to befriending, DIY to tutoring, catering or committee work, and many other options besides. IVC works with individuals to find a volunteering opportunity that's a good match for them.
Further support can include assistance with completing application forms, support when visiting volunteer-using organisations or support during volunteer induction or training.
Information can be made available for volunteers in a range of formats on request, e.g. large print, Braille, audio cassette.
Although Islington Volunteer Centre is not fully accessible to wheelchair users, fully accessible rooms in the Manor Gardens Centre can be booked in advance. There is an accessible toilet on the ground floor of the Manor Gardens Centre. The Disability Project is based at Platform 1 on Monday afternoons. This meeting space is fully accessible and can be made available on other days on request. See the contact page for more details.
A minicom (text phone) is available for deaf or hard of hearing callers, or those with a speech impairment. See the contact page for more details.
Support for organisations
IVC also provides a range of support to help organisations benefit from the skills and talents that disabled volunteers have to offer. Working with Disability Action in Islington, the provision of ongoing consultancy, training and advice to many volunteer-using organisations is a key part of IVC's work in this area. The aim of this tailor-made support is to help organisations to develop accessible volunteer recruitment processes and a sustainable approach to successfully involving disabled people as volunteers. IVC's service to volunteer-using organisations is free of charge.
Confidential interviewing space is available if required.
Project Manager: Sally Ivens
Tel: 020 7686 6800
Minicom (for deaf or hard-of-hearing callers): 020 7686 6802
Fax: 020 7686 6805
To email the Disability project, please use our email form.