Extend the Disability Discrimination Act to Cover Volunteers

The honourable work of volunteers is beneficial to the volunteer, the organisation staffed partially or wholly by volunteers and society more broadly.

Experience of voluntary work enhances the curriculum vitae of volunteers and, by consequence, their employability. Should the Disability Discrimination Act (2005) cover volunteers, therefore, potentially, demand for state benefits would be reduced, as individuals with impairments found employment.

'Reasonable adjustments' would ensure organisations need not shoulder expenses for adaptations if it was financially or otherwise unviable.

We the under-signed call upon the government to consider extending the Disability Discrimination Act (2005) to cover voluntary workers with impairments. To summarise, voluntary work benefits volunteers, organisations and wider society, disabled people could enhance their employment prospects and organisations would not be expected to confront costs they could not meet.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the government for its consideration in this matter and are confident they will share our collective view that widening access to voluntary work is beneficial to the community.