Last week a friend of mine brought to my attention a posting on Facebook (see below). It was put up by a young man with a disability who was upset that he was not being asked back to a volunteer position he had done in previous years. The non-profit organization that he was volunteering with had changed their policies and procedures about who they needed as volunteers. Due to this young man's disability he was no longer qualified. My friend, who previously worked in a non-profit organization, thought this posed an interesting discussion because I have cerebral palsy, am in a wheelchair and I also have difficulty speaking so others can understand me. She asked me if I thought it was fair that the young man was being denied the opportunity to return to the position. I would not be qualified for this position based on the new standards they have set forth. Should he be offered the position again because he has a disability? If he didn't have a disability and the organization changed their practice and he couldn't perform the tasks, would he be asked back anyway? Do organizations have the right to change their procedures and grow? My friend told me about a situation where she was working for an organization that was based on health and research for a disease. The Volunteer Manager who held the position previous to her had hired some volunteers with disabilities. At the time it was a win - win because the volunteers were able to perform the tasks required. Eventually the organization grew and expanded and the previous volunteers were no longer qualified. Soon the volunteers were dropping by to have coffee, socialize and play on the computers. There are organizations specifically set up to accommodate these volunteers with their day programs so my friend had to terminate these volunteers. Are people with disabilities looking for equality or charity? All the comments that were put up on this young man's facebook took the position that the organization was wrong and they were all going to boycott. This was even reposted on a University of Calgary facebook page for Disability Studies with the comment "Can you believe this is happening in the Province of Alberta of all places!" Why wouldn't this happen in Alberta? Why wouldn't this happen anywhere? Things change. As a person with a disability I am looking for equality. I think if I am not qualified to do the job or task, I don't get the position. If I can do the job and I am discriminated against because of my disability that is a different story. This doesn't seem to be the case in this particular instance. I saw a YouTube video with Stella Young, she was a young woman with a disability in Australia and she inspired me and I would like to share her thoughts with you today. "I want to live in a world where we don't have such low expectations of disabled people that we are congratulated for getting out of bed and remembering our own names in the morning. I want to live in a world where we value genuine achievement for disabled people". As outsiders looking in at this situation, what are your thoughts on the following posting?
FACEBOOK POSTING OF JULY 4
It upsets me that I cannot volunteer at the ###### this year as I have many years ago as a friendraiser greeting people. I enjoyed doing it and now according to this letter, not even addressed to me but to my primary support person, I do not belong. I can't believe they think they will make things better by inviting me to a special needs party. Why can I not be a citizen and participate like others? This is the letter they send to me:
As a not-for-profit registered charity, ###################### values the support of the community and endeavors to find meaningful ways to interact and involve members of diverse community populations in our volunteer ranks. Over the years, our needs for volunteer support during the ########l have changed and evolved, and due to the nature of the current demands on our ######, we are now obligated to engage only those volunteers whose skill sets match those of the job. For instance, all volunteers on the ############### must now be able to actively communicate and engage with ###############, both asking for donations and explaining how the ######### benefits from this support. We realize that opportunities for individuals who may have volunteered in the past without these skill sets may be impacted but we must meet the needs of our organization.
We will not be able to accept your client, ######### application to volunteer this year.
In order to continue positive interaction with the community and give back in a way which is possible under our mission and mandate, the ############# will host its first ever Community Day at the ############. This day, Saturday, August 15, will be designed as a day to ‘welcome’ all members of the community to the ########## and will feature a non-profit ‘tradeshow’ at the ATB Community Patio from 1 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This event will feature 10-12 not-for-profit organizations sharing information on who they are and how they support the community with ######## patrons and will allow ############# to get a glimpse of the larger not-for-profit community of which we are part. The day will be about ‘giving back’ and being ‘inclusive’ and we welcome all to attend.
As special needs volunteers are one of the community sectors impacted by our volunteer direction, we are inviting you/your client to attend Community Day to experience the ######## from a broader community perspective. Special effort will be made to welcome you as a guest, and when you check in at the Community Day event at the ATB Financial Patio, we will present you with a small token of our appreciation for coming out to show your support. Please find the invitation attached.
Thank you for your support and interest in the ##############################
Kindest Regards,
#############
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