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This information was last updated on September 4, 2000

One benefit of virtual volunteering programs is that such programs allow for the participation of people who might find volunteering difficult or impossible because of a disability. It also allows organizations to benefit from additional talent and resources of more volunteers.

Just as with all volunteers, consider people with disabilities first and foremost as individuals with specific talents and resources to offer your agency. A volunteer's disability should only be considered in the context of deciding what accommodations will work best for that volunteer. If your organization is mindful of its actions, attitudes and behaviors regarding working with people with disabilities, you can create an environment at your agency where all volunteers feel welcomed.

"A disability is just one part of a person; people are not their disabilities" (2). Think about a person you know with a disability you know personally, such as a relative. You probably see this person as an individual, a friend, a father, a mother, a cousin -- a person first. Keep this "person first" attitude with your volunteers, regardless of their disability.

The following suggestions are meant to be used in conjunction with this Project's other virtual volunteering resources for agencies wanting to involve online volunteers.

• Initial Preparation
  • Conversation
    
  • Accommodations

• Accommodations for online volunteers who have
  learning disabilities or emotional and anxiety disorders

• Recruitment

• Volunteer Orientation and Matching

• Credits and Additional Resources
  

This component of the Virtual Volunteering Project is made possible by a special grant from the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation. We are most grateful for their support and collaboration.