Projects

Current situation

Worldwide, there are several thousand people with disabilities engaged on a voluntary basis. This engagement enables them to gain work experience, develop their social network and function actively in society. Voluntary work coordinators and supervisors confirm that people with disabilities possess valuable life-skills and experiences that are useful to their voluntary engagement. They also highlight the difficulties and problems that arise when working with volunteers with disabilities.
There have been very few scientific studies in this area in Europe and none whatsoever in Switzerland. General studies in the field of voluntary engagement indicate that adults with intellectual disabilities are less likely to be engaged on a voluntary basis than adults without a disability. The reason for this is that people who are not integrated into the labour market usually have a much smaller social network than their working and non-working counterparts, and thus less frequently participate in voluntary work than the employed population.
Facilitation of the voluntary engagement of people with intellectual disabilities as an aid to their participation and collaboration in society is of paramount importance.

Objectives

The aim of this study is to ascertain to what extent adults and older adults with intellectual disabilities are engaged as volunteers, the possibilities this engagement offers and the difficulties it poses. A training provision to support the voluntary engagement of people with intellectual disabilities will be developed on the basis of these findings.

Research problem

This research project will investigate the possibilities existing in Switzerland for the voluntary engagement of people with intellectual disabilities, and to what extent and by whom these positions will be filled. The difficulties a person with an intellectual disability must overcome when they volunteer and the support they require to help them overcome these difficulties is also a topic of investigation.

Research methods

Using an online questionnaire, recruiting companies and employing organisations will be questioned with regard to their experiences with volunteers with intellecutal disabilities. Additionally, adults with ID that offer their services on a voluntary basis, supervisors of voluntary work at employing organisations and their clients will all undergo questioning in guided interviews.

Financing

This research project is financed by contributions from the Schweizerischen Gemeinnützigen Gesellschaft (SGG) and the University of applied Sciences of Special Needs Education.

Duration of the project

1.9.2011-31.8.2012

Contact

Dr. Monika T. Wicki,