“Nothing About Us Without Us” in Volunteerism Too: Volunteering Among People with Disabilities

Viewing disability as a form of social capital, this paper examines the unique contribution of volunteers with disabilities and the meaning that volunteering holds for them. Of the 35 volunteers with disabilities interviewed, all were volunteering in self-help organizations for people with disabilities, half of them in administrative and leadership roles. The interviews revealed rich and active stories. Their areas of activity were diverse and encompassed various organizations. The volunteers crossed over from the role of merely extending services to their beneficiaries to becoming activists for political and social change. Their practices suggest that the volunteers’ self-identity as individuals with disabilities has shaped their supportive approach. Therefore, understanding their unique resources as people with disabilities is key to developing an organizational culture that promotes integrative recruitment of volunteers.