Accessibility Delegate Program from Youth Squad®

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This pin and all program supplies are available from our partner site MakingFriends®.com.

Suggested Group Activity

Make eyeglass holders for the residents at an assisted living facility. Get instructions at FreeKidsCrafts.com.

Some people may only need glasses to read. Other people may need them all the time. Some people are considered blind without their glasses. Maybe you don’t wear glasses. Maybe you do. It doesn’t matter. People have different abilities and may use different things like glasses or wheelchairs to help them.

Suggested Prerequisite

Youth Squad® Accessibility Advocate Patch — **Accessibility Advocate**

Completing the Accessibilty Advocate Patch Program® is a suggested prerequisite for earning your Accessibility Delegate Pin. Your advocate experience will help provide you with the knowledge needed to become a delegate for patriotism in your community. You can also opt to complete the Accessibility Advocate requirements during the time you earn this Delegate pin.

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Requirement 1: Choose It!

Points to Consider When Choosing a Accessibility Service Project:

How are disabled people represented in the media? Helpful Link: Entertainment Professionals
Are people with disabilities stereotyped? Helpful Link: Negative stereotypes and attitudes linked to disability.
What is disability discrimination? Helpful Link: Disability Discrimination
What about unemployment? Helpful Link: Americans with disabilities still can’t land jobs
Is having a disability linked to poor mental heath? Helpful Link: When Disability Leads to Depression
What special challenges do disabled veterans face? Helpful Link: The Top 5 Challenges Veterans Face Today
Are people with disabilities paid less? Helpful Link: We know about the gender pay gap. But what about the disability pay gap?

Best and Worst states for disability unemployment.

What states have the most unemployed adults with disabilities? Helpful Link: Best and Worst States on Jobs for People with Disabilities
Why are less educated people more likely to be considered disabled? Helpful Link:
The startling rise of disability in America
What special challenges do women with disabilities face? Helpful Link: Women with Disabilities Fact Sheet
Who takes care of all the disabled seniors in the U.S.? Helpful Link: The Strange Political Silence On Elder Care
What do caregivers need? Helpful Link: Caregivers tell us what they need most

Some Ideas:

Organize a fundraiser to provide a track chair for a disabled veteran.
Set up a group of volunteers to help a family with the daily responsibilities of having a disabled child.
Do a “menu audit” of local restaurants. Is the type large enough? Is there enough lighting? Make suggestions to the manager or owner to improve the readability of their menus.
Organize a fundraiser to get accessible playground equipment for a local park or school.
Set up a volunteer babysitting program so parents of kids with special needs can get a night out.

Set up a program to provide necessities to low income people with disabilities.
Have a ramp built at your place of worship or other community building.
Organize regular “play dates” at an assisted living facility with local kids and the residents.
Raise money for a service dog for a community member.

Project considerations:

What are your skills and talents?
Do you need a mentor or adviser? Who will it be?
Will there be legal or permit issues to resolve?
How many others can you recruit to help?
Will your volunteers need special skills or training?
How many hours can you devote to the project?
Will there be a project deadline?
How much money will you be able to raise for the project?
Can you get a sponsor to help with the costs?

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Requirement 2: Plan it!

Goal Setting

Setting goals will help give you a long-term vision and short-term motivation. It helps you to organize your thoughts and determine exactly what needs to be done.

Decide exactly what you want to accomplish and give your project a name.
Break it down into smaller steps.
Set up a timeline.

Recruit Volunteers

Although smaller projects can be done alone, many projects will require a team. As the project delegate, one of your most important roles will be building a successful team. Helpful Link: 7 Super Steps to Recruit Volunteers.

Find a mentor with experience in your project area.
Enlist an Advocate to help you recruit volunteers. Consider using a volunteer release form especially if you are working with children. Helpful Link: Volunteer Release Form
Decide which jobs you can do alone.
Will you have teams?
How many people will you need for each team?

Take a look at the table below to get you started. You can copy and paste the table to use as a template for your project. You can set up an account for free or use your own method for organization.

Budgeting

Budgeting allows you to create a spending plan for your project. Sticking to your budget ensures that you will have enough money for the things you need to complete it. If you copied the table above you will see there is a section for budgeting.

Raise Money

There are many ways to raise money. If you are working with an organization such as Girl Scouts* check first to see what is allowed. Helpful Link: A Beginner’s Guide to Fundraising

Consider GoFundMe, CrowdRise, DonorsChoose, or Kickstarter.
Organize an event like a car wash, bake sale, or benefit dinner to raise awareness around your fundraiser.
Host an event such as a walkathon, run, or bike rides.
Ask local businesses and community members to donate items for a silent auction or a live auction.
Sales of customized products like tee shirts, pens, and buttons will not only raise funds but generate awareness about your project.
Invite the local media to your fundraiser or at least supply them with a photo and caption after the event.

Specific ideas for Accessibility Fundraising

Get clever with your ideas. Think of things related to your cause. It will help bring awareness and set up a “fun” atmosphere, while raising the money you need to complete your cause.

Host a craft fair with items made by community members with disabilities.
Raffle off a disabled person’s wheel chair. The raffle continues until enough has been raised to purchase a more advanced chair.
Sell baked goods made by disabled children and their families.
Give recognition gifts for sponsorships. Set donation levels such as $20 for an accessibility pin or $40 for a tee shirt.

Organize an inclusive field day for families in your community.
Host a movie night with a show that promotes acceptance.

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Requirement 3: Do It!

You should now be ready to put your plan into action. Join in during your project to supervise and provide assistance at all levels.

After completing the plan, remember to thank the community.

Ways to say Thank You:

Personally thank individuals and businesses who helped. A handwritten letter is always nice. Helpful link: How to write a thank you letter.
Thank the community as a whole with posters.
Create a follow up press release and include the names of individuals and businesses who participated. Helpful link: How to write a press release.

Youth Squad® Volunteer Thank You Certificate

Give certificates of appreciation.
Thank the community as a whole on social media.

Congratulations on completing your accessibility action project! The Accessibility Delegate pin makes a great reward for completing your project. It also makes a great gift to program sponsors and mentors.

Accessibility Delegate Pin for Community Service from Youth Squad®

See all our current Delegate level pin programs:

Related Fun Patch Ideas:

Note: Many of the links provided to assist with completing our Patch Program®s are external and do not imply an endorsement or recommendation. At the time of publication, external content was vetted to the best of our ability. Your views and ideas may vary and we do not intend for you to substitute our opinions for yours. Research the topic thoroughly before beginning a project. As always, make sure children access the internet only under safe-surfing conditions.

*youthsquad.makingfriends.com and MakingFriends®.com are not affiliated with, endorsed by or a licensee of Girl Scouts of the USA.