Accompanying Persons with Disabilities at University: Skills Development among Volunteers

Abstract

Caring for people with disabilities and their social adaptation around the world is effectively carried out with the help of volunteer organizations and social workers. Training of volunteers is effective, which is critical both for advocating for people with disabilities and for motivating and expanding the volunteer movement. The study's objective is to analyse the effectiveness of a training program that will help volunteers develop skills for the accompaniment of disabled students. The article analyses the effectiveness of volunteer movement conducted at the Regional Resource and Education Centre for Disabled People and People with Special Needs, Pacific National University (Russia, Khabarovsk). From October 22 to November 28, 2019, a resource-based education centre for people with disabilities has conducted a survey to investigate issues of inclusive volunteering among 78 participants (75 students, 3 university workers) with special needs from 8 universities of the Far East Federal District (FEFD). The level of volunteers' selfreported perceptions towards persons with various disabilities increased from average to above average and high. Moreover, the knowledge on how to interact with disabled people has also improved. The results of the study describe the students' interest in various types of volunteer activities. Besides, the main directions for the formation of skills needed, to accompany people with reduced capabilities are built. The comparative representation of program units provides a better understanding of the existing problems and allows effective solutions.

Exploring the Sustainable Development Path of College Volunteerism with Voluntarism in the Context of Deep Learning

“…3 believe that With the help of volunteer organizations and social workers, the social adaptability of people with disability and diseases is improved. The primary focus of the analysis was on the effectiveness of volunteer campaigns conducted by regional resource and education centers for individuals with disabilities and special needs [8]. Horowitz, J. designed a multi-method longitudinal study across universities and early graduate students to test the factors influencing the involvement of volunteer activists in social justice campaigns.…”