[Community-service] Discrimination in volunteering based onblindness

[Cindy Ray]

Yes, I agree with Ashley here. Discrimination in the volunteer field is
alive and well. I am not sure they "have" to do anything. At the Hospice
where I volunteer, when I offered to learn the phone system so I could help
with that, the woman said she hadn't the time to show me. She wouldn't teach
me how to turn patients or fix the oxygen tank. Actually, volunteers
shouldn't be doing this anyway. They once refused to let me sit with a baby
because I wouldn't be able to see the instruments. Well, I think often you
can tell there is a problem, but also, the baby simply was not going to
live. I needed the experience myself to discover if I had the fortitude to
sit with a newborn aby that way. There is plenty of discrimination out
there.

Cindy


-----Original Message-----
From: Community-service [mailto:community-service-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Ashley Bramlett via Community-service
Sent: Saturday, October 11, 2014 4:36 PM
To: Darian Smith; Community Service Discussion List
Subject: Re: [Community-service] Discrimination in volunteering based
onblindness

Darian,
What you say should be true. As members of the public we should have equal
opportunity. But places do think us a liability.
When I tried to volunteer with our fire department as an administrative
volunteer, I was told in our meeting after orientation thatthere was some
hazardous stuff I might trip on or wander in the wrong rooms.

I ended up not getting the opportunity more so because they did not need
admin volunteers, not due to the attitude thing. They were also up front
with me they may not have enough admin work I could do, so I was not
surprised to hear this.

I'm trying to get a volunteer position now with kids so we will see if that
works out; I'm waiting for a call back.

Ashley

-----Original Message-----
From: Darian Smith via Community-service
Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2014 10:18 PM
To: jonathan franks ; Community Service Discussion List
Subject: Re: [Community-service] Discrimination in volunteering based
onblindness

Jonathan and all,
  I believe that while there is no requirement that a place where you
volunteer need make accommodations  such as screen readers and screen
magnification, they are  to allow you the opportunity to volunteer in that
if they allow members of the public to come in and  volunteer, they ought to
allow a person with a disability to do the same.
  in short, you ought not be disallowed a  place you desire to volunteer
simply due to your blindness.  You need to be able to be competent and show
that you can be, but  they can't assume you a liability and not give you the
chance.

  Darian
On Aug 31, 2014, at 9:48 AM, jonathan franks via Community-service
<community-service at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Greetings everyone,
> I wanted to get people's experiences and thoughts on this topic.
>
> Last year, I was to find a volunteer agency to do 45 hours of 
> volunteer work for one of my Social Work courses. I had ran across an 
> agency dealing with children and I wanted to offer my services there.
> During the initial interview portion of the volunteering process, I 
> was told that based on my blindness that I could only do 
> administrative work. The reason I was given was that the children in 
> this agency often got into fights and that if there was a fire, they 
> were worried that I could not get out of the situation for my safety.
> Even though I expressed that I had orientation and mobility skills, 
> they refused to let me volunteer with the children in this agency.
>
> I felt as though I had been discriminated at this point and felt as if 
> it was a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, my 
> Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor explained to me that since it was 
> not an interview for compensated employment, that there was a loophole 
> that they could do this.
>
> Luckily for that semester I found a great alternative place to 
> volunteer. I was hoping to get other people's experiences so that we 
> can all come up with strategies to advocate for ourselves so that we 
> can show our sighted peers we are efficient contributors to society.
>
> I hope everyone is well.
>
> Jonathan Franks
>
>
> --
> Jonathan Franks
> Austin Chapter Board Member
> National Federation of the Blind of Texas www.nfbaustin.org
>
> Hook the Cure Board Member
> Social Media Manager
> The University of Texas at Austin
> www.texashookthecure.weebly.co
>
> Diabetes Action Network (NFB)
> National Board Member
> https://nfb.org/diabetics
>
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