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Tips to attract enthusiastic volunteers, including the disabled

“HOW pro-disability are your opportunities?” asks the lead article in Volunteer Match’s online newsletter. “Meet your dream volunteer. She's dedicated to your mission, smart and friendly, and she has tons of spare time on her hands. There's just one thing: She's blind. How can you connect with her?”

Robin Brandt of the University of Hawai‘i sent HANO the article, which reminded us that one in six Americans are disabled, including many millions of committed volunteers. To make sure you're not missing out on the chance to put these talented volunteers to work for your cause here are some recommendations:

  • When listing your volunteer opportunities on Volunteer Match or Volunteer Hawai‘i:
  • Use inviting and inclusive content.
  • Include an invitation specifically for disabled volunteers.
  • Post critical information at the top of your listing so it's more accessible for alternative browsers.
  • If possible, use large fonts for your listings.
  • If you post photos, consider including disabled volunteers in the images.

To find out if your website is accessible:

  • Ask your webmaster what has been done to create an accessible website.
  • Make sure the first page visitors see uses inviting language.
  • Include information about your events that would be helpful for the disabled – such as parking for disabled attendees and handicapped-accessible restrooms.
  • Ask your webmaster to use "alt" tags to provide captions for images you publish.

To be sure your volunteer events are accessible: