This document was created by an individual or individuals who submitted a proposal so he / she / they may present at the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiative’s 2011 Conference on Service and Volunteerism (GCSV11). This proposal was approved by the Indiana Commission on Community Service and Volunteerism (ICCSV) and other community partners. Sharing this document is a courtesy extended by the OFBCI to conference attendees who may want to reference materials covered at the GCSV11, and the OFBCI in no way not responsible for specific content within.

1. An Untapped Resource: People with
Disabilities and Community Service

2. accessABILITY, formerly known as
IRCIL, was founded in 1987 by a
small group of advocates under a
state grant.

3. accessABILITY is
one of many Centers
for Independent
Living (or CILs) that
resulted from the
civil rights movement
for people with
disabilities.

4. “I’m tired of well-meaning noncripples
with their stereotypes of what I can and
cannot do directing my life and my future. I
want cripples to direct their own programs
and to be able to train others to direct new
programs. This is the start of something big
– cripple power.”
Ed Roberts

5. Independent Living (IL)
Philosophy:
The right to control and direct ones own life, to
make choices from a range of acceptable
options which minimize reliance on others in
making decisions and in performing every day
activities. This includes managing ones affairs,
participating in all aspects of community life,
fulfilling a range of social roles and making
decisions that lead to self-determination and the
minimization of physical and/or psychological
dependence.

6. Our Vision
At accessABILITY, we believe that ALL people with
disabilities are valued individuals of our community with
rights and responsibilities. This value is reflected in the
following ways:
• accessABILITY is a consumer-controlled organization.
No less than 51% of our staff and governing board are
persons with a disability to insure that the will and needs
of people with disabilities are reflected in all we do.
• accessABILITY supports and advocates for a community
that is accessible for all.
• accessABILITY believes that a disability is a natural part
of life.
• accessABILITY was established to assist people with
disabilities in developing the supports they need to
assure full inclusion in community life.

7. Centers for Independent Living
Core Services
All CILs have the following four core services:
• Peer Support
• Independent Living Skills Training
• Information and Referral
• Advocacy
– Individual
– Systems

8. Our Programs Include:
• Independent Living (IL): Serving individuals with
disabilities between the ages of 25-55.
• S.A.I.L. (Seniors Achieving Independent Living):
Serving seniors with disabilities who are 55 and
older and are blind or have a visual impairment.
• Y.A.I.L. (Youth achieving Independent Living):
Serving youth under the age of 25.

9. Additional Services We Offer:
• Youth n Power Project: Serving youth from ages 14
to 25.
• Community Education: Educating the community
about disability, inclusion and rights.
• Benefits Counseling: Helping people to understand
and receive the benefits they need.
• Employment Support: Assisting people with
disabilities to gain and keep jobs.
• Braille Production: Creating Braille documents for
people, organizations, and businesses.

10. accessABILITY is one of nine Centers for
Independent Living in Indiana, serving
the following counties:
Marion Shelby
Hendricks Johnson
Boone Bartholomew
Hamilton Monroe
Hancock Brown
Morgan Owen

11. What are the benefits of volunteerism to
individuals with disabilities?
• A person can volunteer once on a particular project or they
can volunteer for many projects over a lifetime.
• They may choose to work on one event annually or they may
choose to volunteer on a weekly basis.
• They may serve through the types of local volunteer
opportunities available in virtually every community.
• Opportunity to give.
• They can develop more peer relationships and increase
future opportunities to form new friendships.
• A person can volunteer with the same group of people over
time and learn about friendship as a different source of
security, comfort and self-worth (The Arc, 1998)

12. What are some myths & barriers for not hiring
and recruiting individuals with disabilities?
• Persons with intellectual disabilities cannot learn volunteer
jobs.
• Persons with disabilities require too much training and
supervision.
• Persons with disabilities are unreliable and likely to cause
injury to themselves or others.
• Organizations may not be sure they know how to
accommodate individuals with disabilities.
• Volunteer stipends may conflict with disability benefits.

13. As the environment becomes friendlier
and more accommodating, it will not
be a question of whether persons with
disabilities will be able to contribute, it
will be more of a question of where
their abilities can best be utilized.

14. Myth
Organizations may
not be sure they
know how to
accommodate
individuals with
disabilities.

15. What is job accommodation?
Job accommodation means modifying a job, job site, or
way in which a job is done so that the person with a
disability can have equal access to all aspects of work. It
can make it possible for people with disabilities to:
• Apply for jobs.
• Perform essential job functions.
• Be as productive as their co-workers.
• Accomplish tasks with greater ease or independence.
• Allow people with disabilities to enjoy the same perks
that their co-workers enjoy, such as access to the
employee cafeteria or use of company-provided
transportation.

16. What are essential job functions and
how are they determined?
Essential functions are the basic duties that an
employee/volunteer must be able to perform, with or without
reasonable accommodation. Factors to consider in
determining if a function is essential include:
• Does the position exist to perform that job function? (e.g., a
cashier exists to exchange money with customers)
• How many other employees are available to assist with the
required job function?
• How much time have present or past employees spent
performing this function?
• What has been the actual work experience of present or past
employees in this job?
• What degree of expertise or skill is required to perform the job
function?
• What will the consequences be if this employee is not required
to perform the job function?

17. What are possible
accommodations needed?
• Extended time for tasks • Provide quiet workspace
• Rearranging for an individual with ADD
furniture/heighten desks • Accessible work
for wheelchair users station/assistive
• Provide TTY for Deaf technology devices
individuals
• Posted instructions for
someone with memory
loss

18. What are the steps involved in
developing job accommodations?
• Identify accommodation needs.
• Identify accommodation.
• Begin by discussing options with the applicant or
employee.

19. What are the steps involved in
developing job accommodations?
Who is responsible:
• The employee with a disability is responsible for
requesting an accommodation.
When do you request:
• During the job application process
• After a job offer is made
• At any time during the course of employment.

20. 5302 East Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46219
317.926.1660
www.abilityindiana.org