Inclusive service trips

“Everybody can be great... Because anybody can serve.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Including Individuals with Disabilities in

Alternative Spring Break And Other Service Trips

www.SERVICEandINCLUSION.org

Toll-free hotline: 888-491-0326 (voice/TTY)

National Partnerships

The National Service Inclusion Project partners with the following organizations to further enable all CNCS grantees to collaborate with the disability community. These disability organizations are committed to promoting national service and volunteerism as a valued option for individuals with disabilities to their respective communities.

Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)

Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)

National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC)

National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)

Sampling of Training and Technical Assistance Topics:

• Values That Guide and Current Best Practices on Inclusion• Disclosure• Outreach, Recruitment, and Retention• Legal Responsibilities• Reasonable Accommodations• Accessibility and Universal Design Specialized Topics• Developing a Collaborative Action Plan for Inclusion• The History of the Independent Living Movement• Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities• Disability Inclusion in Culturally Diverse Communities• Tips and Tools to Assist Senior Citizens to Live Independently

• What experience(s) have you had in the past with inclusion of students with disabilities?

• What are your “burning questions” about inclusion of students with disabilities?

Who are people with disabilities?

“Disability” as Defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act &

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)• A physical or mental impairment that substantially

limits one or more major life activities

• A history or record of such an impairment

• Being regarded as having such an impairment, even when no limitations exist

• Someone who has an association with someone with a disability

“Major Life Activity” is Anything an Average Person Can Do with Little or No Difficulty

Major life activities include, but are not limited to:

operation of major bodily functions such as the immune system, normal cell growth and the endocrine system.

http://www.jan.wvu.edu/bulletins/adaaa1.htm

ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) Additions:

“Substantially limits”

…unable to perform, or significantly limited in the ability to perform, an activity as compared with an average person. Factors to be considered are:

1. Its nature and severity2. How long it will last or is expected to last, and3. Its permanent or long-term impact, or expected

impact

Exclusions from Coverage Defined by the Law

• Current drug use is not protected by the ADA

• Temporary, non-chronic impairments that do not last for a long time and that have little or no long term impact

Disability Facts

• According to the 2000 Census there are over 50 million Americans with Disabilities.

• The United Nations estimates that 10% of the world population has a disability.

• Many people have disabilities that may not be readily apparent

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LanguageWhy should you avoid saying…

- “cripple”?- Derived from an old German term

“kripple” which means “to be without power” which is completely untrue

- “handicapped”?- Comes from a history of people with

disabilities having to beg “cap in hand” because they were not allowed to work

- “wheelchair bound”?- A wheelchair is a means for mobility and

freedom, not something that restricts anyone

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People First Language

• The key is to use “person first” language because people with disabilities are human first and have a disability second

• For example…– “A person who is blind” instead of a

“a blind person”– “A student with epilepsy” instead of

“an epileptic” – “A boy who has Down’s Syndrome”

instead of “a retarded child”

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Most often, it’s best to call someone by

name, not by a label.

ImagesImages

WordsWords

FormatsFormats

Recruiting a diverse pool of volunteers

• Think about what you say in your recruiting materials

• Think about the images you use in your recruiting materials

• Think about what formats you use to recruit your volunteers

What you say

“Qualified individuals with disabilities and those from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. We provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals and conduct all activities in fully accessible settings.”

“We are an equal opportunity program or organization.”

WordsWords

The images you use• Include pictures of people with disabilities in

your recruitment materials• Communicate to students with disabilities that they will

be valued members of your team• Communicate to others that your organization values

the contribution of all volunteers.

ImagesImages

The formats you use• Ensure that your materials can be

accessed by individuals with a varied array of abilities

• Electronic files can be printed larger, emailed to interested students, read by screen reader programs, etc.

• Have your videos captioned (or caption them yourself in YouTube!)

• http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=100077

FormatsFormats

How do you make your recruiting materials more accessible?

• In your group please look at the provided description of an Alternative Spring Break trip– make a list of things you could change to help

make students with disabilities feel welcome – Discuss ways to get this information out to a

diverse audience of students

How do students determine if the project is a “good fit”?

• What information could you supply in this trip description to allow students to gain a clear understanding of what they will do?

• Who will they work with?• Where will they work? • What kind of work will they be doing? • What challenges might they face? • What will be rewarding about the trip?

What is a “Qualified Student with a Disability”?

At the postsecondary level, a qualified student with a disability…

- Meets the academic standards of the institution or program

- Qualified students with disabilities have a legal right to participate in educational programs and activities.

What are “Essential Functions”?Essential functions describe actions that must be performed by the volunteer.

1.The position exists to perform a specific function.2.There are a limited number of other participants available to perform the function or among whom the function can be distributed.3.A function is highly specialized and the person in the position is selected for special expertise or ability to perform it.

Note: Essential functions can be done with or without reasonable accommodations.

What are the essential functions for volunteers joining your ASB?

• In your group, look at the provided trip description and make a list of what the essential functions might be. – What are some “marginal functions” that

some volunteers might need to be able to do, but others don’t need to do?

– Are there any essential functions that could be shared between two volunteers?

Tips for Selecting Volunteers• Do not ask about disability on your application

or in interviews• Ask potential volunteers if they can do the

essential functions of the volunteer position with or without accommodation.

• Select qualified volunteers first, think about (and discuss) accommodation after a student is on your team.

Interview Questions that are OK

• Are you able to perform the essential functions of this position, with or without reasonable accommodations?

• Can you describe how you would perform the following job functions (followed by a list of service duties)?

• Ask:– How would you?– What would you do if?– How long would it take to?

Interview Questions that are NOT OK

• Do you have a disability?

• Do you have any physical or mental impairments which might limit you in performing this job?

• Have you ever collected workers’ compensation?

• What medical conditions do you have?

• What information can you tell me about your disability?

Is this student qualified to join your trip?

• Look at the description of the student you have received. – Is this student a good fit for your trip?

• Why or why not?

– What skills/perspectives do you think this student might bring to your trip?

– What questions might you ask to determine if this student is qualified?

What is Universal Design?Universal Design includes environments that have been created to be usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities or limitations.

Examples:

Curb cuts: used by people using wheelchairs, but also parents pushing strollers, bicycles, travelers with rolling luggage.

Closed-captioned television: initially developed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but found in gyms, sports bars, and for watching T.V. at home. Curriculum Transformation and Disability.

Funded by U.S. Department of Education. Project #P333A990015. Copyright 2000.

Universal Design and Service Trips

• Using the Universal Design worksheet, work with your group to develop tips for making service trips more universally inclusive.

• Write your tips on flipchart paper• Choose one person to share your best tip

Building an Inclusive Team Environment

Building an Inclusive Team Environment

How do we create inclusive teams?

• What shared values make a team inclusive?

• How can we foster those values on our teams of volunteers?

• How do you get “buy-in” from all volunteers?

Accommodations

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Accommodations

“Accommodations” are technology, services, and changes in policy, procedures, and the built environment that enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions or to equally participate in events and programs

- According to the Job Accommodation Network approximately 80% of accommodations cost less than $600 and more than 50% of reported accommodations cost nothing.

Tips for Providing and Maintaining Successful Accommodations

• Develop Written Policies and Procedures• Train all staff to recognize and respond to an

accommodation request• Have a process for Determining Effective Accommodations

(and community resources to help)• Monitor and Update Accommodations• Make sure volunteers know accommodations are availableAdapted from “Five Practical Tips for Providing and Maintaining Effective Job

Accommodations” from the Job Accommodation Network (www.askjan.org)

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Examples of Accommodations

“Because I’m blind doesn’t mean that I’m not intelligent, and it doesn’t mean that I can’t contribute. Because I need some accommodation or help in some areas, doesn’t mean that I don’t have a lot of tools that I can use in general society. I can read and write and think and do physical labor probably as well as the next person given the appropriate tools.”

-Steve Hoad

Former AmeriCorps member with Maine Conservation Corps

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Examples of Accommodations

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“I am considered a low vision person so reading is very difficult for me…I have a special reading glass at home but I wouldn’t bring it in because it’s difficult. I read with one eye. I don’t want the kids to realize that I am that disabled. that’s part of my problem maybe. Because they don't see me as that. I am the grandma that has to be read to. So, they read to me.”

-Ruth KofflerUnion-Snyder Foster Grandparent

Program

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Examples of Accommodations

“I work with AmeriCorps Service for 1 year. I have no interpreter. I only need an interpreter for meetings. I don't need that for work. I just write a note with some members and I taught some members some basic sign language like: "work, breaktime, what, where, why, toilet, see you later, bye, and hi". I can read lips a little bit, not long sentences just two or three words.”

-Kevin PachioHoopa AmeriCorps on Native Lands

• How will you let volunteers know that accommodations are available?

• What steps will you take when a volunteer requests accommodation?

• What resources might you use to help address accommodation requests?

• How will you discuss accommodations once they are made?

What questions would you ask your group’s student to determine

accommodation? • Keep in mind…

– Accommodations help volunteers complete the essential functions

– Often the individual can tell you what they need, especially if they have a clear understanding of what they will be expected to do.

Resources• How do you work with your school’s office of

disability services? • What community partners could you work

with? • Don’t forget NSIP has resources available on

our website and we’re always happy to answer your questions!