Charities should develop a “culture of listening” to reduce digital barriers for disabled volunteers, according to a new report.

The report, Bridging the Digital Divide: Challenges and Opportunities for Disabled Adults in Volunteering, was published by the University of Salford and University of Greenwich in partnership with the NCVO and Hear Equality and Human Rights Network, a network of London charities working to promote equality.

It highlights the digital barriers that stop many disabled adults from fully participating in volunteering.

The report presents the findings of work undertaken between November 2023 and August 2024 through large-scale surveys and individual experiences gathered through detailed interviews.

“Organisations should encourage a culture of listening and providing empathetic support to address the specific needs of disabled volunteers and reduce digital barriers to volunteering,” the report says.

“It is important that organisations are staffed by people who are ready to listen and understand the specific needs of the disabled volunteer, especially when the needs may include multiple intersectional barriers.”

Interviewees believed many charities, including those that engage volunteers and offer paid jobs, assumed or perhaps expected a predetermined level of technological ability and know-how.

The report says there is an expectation among charities that disabled volunteers not only know what equipment or devices they might need, but also know how to use them.

“This assumed ‘digital capability’ can cause concern among disabled volunteers, who may worry about falling behind in technological advancements and struggling to meet volunteering and other role requirements,” the report says.

“When disabled persons attempt to apply for volunteer roles, the process can be made more complex by digital technology, or when the IT systems are not working as expected, or technical support is poorly matched with requirements,” the report also says.

“There is also an over-reliance on digital platforms for advertising volunteering opportunities. 

“While this approach offers volunteer recruiting organisations efficiency and cost savings, it inherently assumes that potential volunteers possess the necessary digital skills, knowledge and access to technology.”

The report says this issue is more pronounced for disabled volunteers who are already marginalised due to financial constraints, lower education levels or advanced age.

The report says more frequent internet users are more likely to volunteer, even after taking into account their socioeconomic characteristics and computing devices they have at home.

The report used data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study between 2018 and 2020, which found that 52 per cent of disabled volunteers gave their time weekly compared with 48 per cent of non-disabled volunteers.