RESEARCHING DISABLED VOLUNTEERS: REFLECTIONS ON A STUDY OF WHEELCHAIR-USERS WHO VOLUNTEER Jane Andrews: HELM: 6 th December 2006.

Aim of presentation Reflective look at a PhD study and discussion of issues relevant to contemporary H.E. from perspective of a disabled researcher.

Presentation Outline 1.Outline of Study: Research Questions/ Participants/ Research Field. 2.Methodology 3.Findings, facts and figures 4.Discussion – similarities between study findings and researching, working and studying in Higher Educations -Barriers and Benefits 5.Conceptualising disability 6.Implications for Higher Education

The Study – aims and objectives  Disabled Volunteers: An Analysis of the experiences of wheelchair-users who volunteer. -Volunteer Focused. -Practicalities of Volunteering -Volunteers’ experiences and perspectives. -Disability related issues -Health and impairment. -Benefits of volunteering -Barriers to volunteering -Organisational Matters. -Management and Governance Issues. -Conceptualisation of a distinct approach to managing disabled volunteers

Methodology.  50 volunteers who needed to use a wheelchair whilst volunteering.  Located in over 30 different organisations across the country (England, Wales & Scotland)  Qualitative interview techniques following Grounded Theory methodology – interviews recorded contemporaneously and later transcribed/ analysed.  Interview guide divided into four areas: Demographic & Epidemiological Information: General Volunteering Experiences: Health and Disability related issues: Management and Governance issues.

Findings: Facts & Figures  25 men and 25 women interviewed.  Youngest aged 24 – oldest age 82  Volunteers located throughout country – from Andover across to Anglesey and North of Aberdeen.  Majority of volunteers volunteered in more than one organisation.  Organisations in which volunteering activities occurred included: Disability organisations (80%): Health Service (40%): Local Authorities (40%).  Number of hours spent volunteering: Mean 20 hours p.w. – from 2 hours – 65 hours p.w.  4 of the volunteers also worked full time.  All of the volunteers in receipt of state benefit – 60% in receipt of income support or other means tested benefits.

Study Findings; Similarities between Volunteering and Studying & Working in HE.  This part of the presentation reflects the empirical study findings and my own subjective perspectives.  Barriers to volunteering  Analogous with barriers to education  Barriers encountered in PhD process  Benefits of volunteering  Similar to benefits of education  Perspectives of disability  From social to medical model and something in between!!

Barriers to participation  Practical  Access and geographic  Health and impairment  Attitudinal Practical Barriers included… -Conceptualising who is a wheelchair-user?? -How do I find 60 wheelchair-users who volunteer? -Logistical and other everyday problems of PhD process.

Access related barriers

Health and Impairment  Barriers encountered by volunteers  Fatigue  Pain  Differing levels of ability in relation to ability to perform different tasks  Symptomatic problems and issues (physical health)  Mental health issues  Disability related barriers encountered by myself whilst undertaking PhD…  Symptomatic barriers  Inconsistencies in health  Lack of understanding from participants  Conceptions of ‘instant empathy’

Attitudinal barriers

‘Barriers’ Trivia  Most Inaccessible Place Visited: Shrewsbury  Most Accessible Place: Anglesey  Worst Attitudes towards myself as a disabled person encountered in: Telford  Most positive attitudes towards myself as a disabled person encountered in: Scotland – and at Aston!!  Biggest Personal Challenge: Getting up Snowdon – and then Ben Nevis!

Benefits of Participation  Personal benefits  For volunteers  For self  Health related benefits  Physical health  Mental health  Organisational benefits  Societal benefits

Benefits -Personal Benefits of Volunteering -Feel good factor Opportunity to help others in similar situation Chance to make friends with people in similar position Availability of peer support/ mutual understanding -Work experience – younger volunteers had never worked -Work replacement – after ill-health forced early retirement. Maintenance of work-related skills -Work retraining – gaining new skills and competencies -Help own situation in terms of accessing disability, welfare and health related services.

Benefits  Health & Impairment  Physical health  Psychological health  Organisational  Managerial  Governance  Practical/ Bureaucratic  Societal  Public Service Provision  Help others in similar situation

Perspectives of disability Social model of disability  Disability socially constructed  Environmental and Physical barriers socially constructed  Attitudinal barriers reflect negative social attitudes towards disability and medicalisation of disability

Perspectives of Disability Medical model of disability  Disability reflects medical problems  Disability grounded in medical signs and symptoms  Society not responsible for individual problems caused by illness and ill- health

My own perspective on disability Need to conceptualise disability somewhere in- between social and medical models; taking into account environmental, cultural and organisational factors.

Implications for HE How can a study of disabled volunteers have any implications for Higher Education?  Access – physical and environmental barriers tend to be consistent across different organisational environments and settings  Attitudes – Similar negative and positive attitudes towards impairment, illness and disability tend to occur in every sphere of life including education.  Organisational factors – Need for HEI’s to take a pro- active approach towards disability.