voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
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Top Tips for Inclusion, Recruiting and Supporting Disabled Volunteers
Created: 15/05/2026
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News/Events Category: Volunteering
The following Top Tips for recruiting and supporting disabled volunteers have been created by Volunteer Scotland and Glasgow Disability Alliance to think about the important things which need to be considered to ensure a positive experience for all recruiting and supporting disabled volunteers.
By reflecting on the following, they would hope that these points would help you make your volunteering offer more inclusive:
1. Promote the organisation’s commitment to equality and diversity and demonstrate how this applies in practice e.g. case studies: testimony from disabled volunteers; support networks for disabled volunteers etc.
2. If your organisation endorses a social model of disability, then this should be referred to in any promotion of the volunteer role e.g. “As an organisation we believe that people are disabled by the barriers that society places in the way rather than by their own conditions or impairments.”
3. Consider disability equality training for those responsible for the recruitment and support of volunteers. This training is most effectively delivered by disabled people with lived experience and in the first instance approach disabled peoples’ organisations i.e. those run by and for disabled people.
4. Ask disabled people to carry out an access audit of the premises, policies and procedures (e.g. computer systems) in sites where volunteers are trained and are located.
5. Promote your organisation’s willingness to provide if at all possible the support and equipment and adjustments that an individual ma y need to apply and to undertake any relevant training. Provide examples of how a disabled volunteer may be supported to undertake their role.
6. Difficulties with transport are a significant barrier to the participation of disabled people in volunteering. Some volunteers cannot travel by public transport and may need to use taxis. The costs of meeting disabled volunteers’ access and support needs should be identified in funding applications.
7. Review volunteer roles and identify opportunities to offer flexibility in regard to location, hours and responsibilities. Disabled people may have concerns about their ability to carry out a volunteer role so may need encouragement, training or support to consider options beyond what is safe and non-threatening.
8. Develop support systems for disabled volunteers e.g. networks, mentors or peer support groups.
9. Disabled volunteers are a resource and individuals may be interested in opportunities to improve policies and practice using their lived experience e.g. training colleagues.
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