Ask the Expert Archive

MAY 2004

Many years ago during college, my first job was supporting people with disabilities in residential services. I developed a friendship with a woman in her mid 50s, Irene. Prior to moving into her own apartment with staff support, Irene had spent most of her life in a segregated state institution for people with mental retardation. At least once a week I would schedule “unpaid” time with Irene to go shopping, out for coffee or to visit other friends. Although I genuinely enjoyed Irene’s company I was still the charitable contributor of my time and Irene the lucky recipient, or so I thought. However, let me fill in more of the details of our time spent together or, to describe it more accurately, our visits riding in my very untidy Volkswagen.

Irene would be waiting for me as I neared her apartment building and would leap into my car, always armed with an empty paper bag. Following a quick hello, Irene would immediately start removing old coffee cups, sandwich wrappers, candy papers and whatever else she could reach. Irene would then scan the car and, satisfied that she made a dent in the mess, sit back, relax, and chat.

After several years, I asked Irene what she liked about spending time together. I expected her to express her appreciation for all the shopping trips, coffee and visits. Irene’s response took me by surprise. Irene perceived her role as a nurturing caretaker and liked to look after me. She felt sorry that I drove such a messy car and derived great satisfaction from cleaning it every week. What made Irene the happiest was giving, not receiving.

I fondly remember her conflicting interpretation of our relationship. Here’s what Irene taught me about inclusion, national service, and volunteerism:

• People with disabilities can be givers and leaders in national service.
• People with disabilities have much to offer people without disabilities. Another friend, an AmeriCorps member with a disability who [worked] with children comments, “The value of a child is priceless…. Teach that child something to become a better person in America, in society.”
• Inclusion does not mean that people with disabilities serve only with other people who have disabilities, or only serve the needs of other people with disabilities.

We are not changing the obsolete paradigm of people with disabilities as recipients proactively and quickly enough. Many of our nonprofit social service organizations and service providers still perpetuate the role of individuals as passive beneficiaries of intervention, assistance and others' good intentions. People with disabilities can and should serve as leaders and contributors in national service and volunteerism. My friend Irene would have told us this a very long time ago!

Paula Sotnik, Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts Boston, has over twenty years of experience working as a director, curriculum developer, trainer, diversity and disability specialist. She oversees the National Service Inclusion Project, a national training and technical assistance cooperative agreement under the Corporation for Community and National Service on inclusion, accessibility and disability issues. Paula coordinates Community Capacity Building Projects which houses federal and state projects designed to support grassroots organizations to serve people with disabilities. Paula serves as lead trainer and author on Culture Brokering for an international rehabilitation project at SUNY and consults to organizations on outreach and provision of services to people from diverse cultural backgrounds. She has several publications on diversity and disability, developing the capacity of faith and community-based organizations.