[Nyagdu] Recruiting for NAGDU Information & Advocacy Hotline

[Marion Gwizdala]

            Are you a member of the National Association of Guide dog Users interested in volunteering to staff the NAGDU Information & advocacy Hotline? If you are willing to commit to at least 8 hours each month, as well as to attending monthly staff meetings, and meet the requirements below, we would like to hear from you. 

            The first step in the application process is to attend the teleseminar being held on Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 8:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (7:00 Central; 6:00 pm Mountain; and 5:00 pm Pacific). Space is filling up quickly and preference will be given to those wishing to apply. After the teleseminar, you will be asked to write a brief letter of interest and take a recorded mock call from a member of the selection committee who will play the part of an individual who is being denied access to a public accommodation. All of this may seem pretty intense for a voluntary position, but the callers to the hotline will expect someone who is highly skilled in resolving access issues.

            If you plan to apply to staff the hotline, please send your name, address, telephone number, and email address By Sunday, August 7 to

 

Info at NAGDU.ORG

 

Be sure to let us know of your interest in staffing the hotline so we can keep a record of those who attend. 

 

Job Description 

NAGDU Information & Advocacy Hotline

 

Applicants should:

Have good telephone etiquette;

Possess sound problem solving skills;

Be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of callers;

Be able to remain calm in stressful situations;

Be able to maintain detailed records;

Be willing to attend regular training sessions & monthly teleconference meetings;

Have the ability to stay on task; 

Must have a quiet environment in which to work;

Have access to a computer and the internet;

Prefer individuals who have been a member of NAGDU for at least one (1) year.

 

Job Description

Individuals who staff the hotline wil do so voluntarily; however, we expect staff members to commit to their work as if they were being paid. Hotline staff members will field calls from and provide guidance to individuals seeking information concerning the rights and responsibilities of service animal users. 

Members will be required to attend a training seminar prior to making their application. Volunteers will apply to staff the hotline by submitting a letter of interest to the selection committee. This letter should explain why the applicant is interested in staffing the hotline, how long the applicant has been using a guide dog, what, if any experience the applicant has had advocating for others, and what, if any, access issues the applicant has faced and how the issue was resolved. 

Before being selected, applicants will be required to demonstrate a basic understanding of the legal issues concerning access through a mock telephone call to the hotline. Those selected to staff the hotline must be willing to commit to at least eight (8) hours each month, keep all information about callers confidential, show no bias toward any training programs, and agree to the recording of all calls.