The Resource Center for Disability Advocates | News & Articles | The Advocacy Guide E-Newsletter The Advocacy Guide September 2006 This e-newsletter is intended to provide useful information to both individuals and nonprofit organizations to help them more effectively achieve their mission and improve the lives of people with disabilities. Topics may include fundraising, grant writing, the start-up process, sensitivity training, financial management, technical assistance, independent living, strategic planning, organizational management and the legislative process. Please forward the newsletter to those you feel may be interested. All interested persons may contact us at jtassone@cilcp.org to receive the upcoming issues. Recruiting New Members to Your Organization We Have New Members. How Do We Keep Them On Board? Tips to Remember When Designing an Accessible Web Site Reaching Your Audience through the Web Upcoming Conferences/Events Recruiting New Members to Your Organization All organizations serve a purpose and some have a membership base to assist the organization in serving its target audience(s). Recruiting new members can be a challenge; therefore, the Resource Center has included key questions your organization should ask itself when recruiting new members. According to ETU (Education and Training Unit): What is the purpose of the organization? Determine the role and tasks of the organization as well as its members before recruiting.   Who should we recruit as members? The members should have skills and experience that will help your organization. Do they want to support and work hard for your cause? Can they identify with the objectives of your organization? Are they able to influence others to join?   What type of system does the organization have for memberships? Some organizations screen or interview members, while others allow anyone to join. Determine what best fits your organization. Is there a membership fee and how often must the member pay? What do you need to know about the members in terms of information and how will it be documented?   How many members do you want? Determine a goal for the number of members you want to recruit and how long you want the recruiting to last.   What is your strategy overall for recruiting? An overall strategy needs to be developed. Not only should it include the answers to the questions above, but also the message you want to communicate to the potential members (why should they join); where the new members can be found (schools, public meetings, door-to-door, etc.); and the methods for recruiting (personal contacts, tables at events, etc.). An action plan including the above items and budget should be developed prior to beginning the recruitment process. Make sure everyone is on the same page. Upcoming Conferences/Events 2006 PA Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (PARF) Conference September 26 - September 29, 2006 Nittany Lion Inn State College, PA Customized Employment: Creating Careers for Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime Interactive session designed to promote employment outcomes for people with disabilities. Co-sponsored by the NISH Institute for Leadership Performance and Development Free Registration: Due by October 24, 2006 Contact: ocs_registrationsrr@tiu11.org Western PA Area: October 31, 2006 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. PaTTAN Pittsburgh Central PA Area: November 2, 2006 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. PaTTAN Harrisburg Eastern PA Area: November 3, 2006 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Hilton Valley Forge (King of Prussia, PA) TASH Annual Conference November 8 - 11, 2006 The Baltimore Convention Center Baltimore, MD World Congress and Exposition on Disabilities November 17-19, 2006 Pennsylvania Convention Center Philadelphia, PA Transitioning from High School to Adult Life Conducted by the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University Session Dates: October 13-14, 2006 November 3-4, 2006 December 1-2, 2006 January 5-6, 2007 February 2-3, 2007 March 30-31, 2007 Hilton Harrisburg Hotel and Towers Harrisburg, PA Contact Kathy Miller at millerk@temple.edu, (215) 204-9395 (voice), (215) 204-1356 (TTY) Disability Policy Seminar March 4 - 6, 2007 Hyatt Regency Washington, D.C. We Have New Members. How Do We Keep Them On Board? Keeping members active with the organization is key because an organization does not want to have to keep repeating the recruiting process each month. Individuals join organizations for different reasons, including to help the community, meet people and to help make a difference. Ask yourself what you would want as a member and also review these tips according to Education and Training Unit: Make the members feel valued and wanted. Allow the members to participate with new ideas and suggestions. Encourage members to become involved with projects, interacting with new and older members. Reward members for a job well done. Welcome and introduce members at meetings, conferences, etc. as they join. Hold introductory meetings or workshops, educating new members on the purpose of the organization and how they can help make a difference. Keep the meetings and events exciting and fun. Include social events for members. Take the time to get to know each individual. Tips to Remember When Designing an Accessible Web Site As an organization, it is essential to have a web site in this day and age. With over 200 million people using the Internet (www.Internetworldstats.com), people are going to the Web to search organizations like yours for information, assistance and expertise. If you have a web site, is it accessible for people with disabilities? Due to the large amount of information available, on making web sites accessible, we've developed a shorter list of tips to guide your organization. According to http://www.ataccess.org/rresources/webaccess.html designers should include text descriptions for all sound clips and video clips that include sound when building a web site for people with a hearing disability.   According to http://www.ataccess.org/rresources/webaccess.html use these helpful hints when building a web site for people facing vision barriers:   Keep the screen organized - do not clutter information. Leave considerable space around each item. Try to only put one hyperlink on one line. Do not make backgrounds dark, bright colored, or tiled. Keeping a high contrast between the text and background is good. All pages with images should also include a text-only alternative page; therefore, with proper software the information can be "spoken." With images, include text descriptions, which again can be spoken by using proper software. In addition, software is available through Windows and Macintosh, which will enlarge print or cause text to be "spoken." Next, are tips for making navigation simpler for people with learning or cognitive disabilities. According to the National Center on Disability and Access to Education, remember:   Keep the content simple, short and concise. If information needs to stand out, highlight the key information with color. Incorporate proper graphics to enhance understanding. Keep away from text that moves or changes. Recap information. Use the pyramid when writing material for the web site. Begin with a summary and then follow with the most important to least important information. Try to avoid long, lengthy text. Include one idea per paragraph. Use bulleted lists when possible. Incorporate appropriate headings to divide the information. Keep the length of each line under 80 characters. Do not fully justify text. Avoid or provide alternatives for non-literal text. Do not be afraid to incorporate white space on the page. Provide the user with a choice of using the "long" or "short" version of the content. This allows the user to determine the level of detail he or she wants. Reaching Your Audience through the Web It's already been established in the previous article, that having a web site is essential for your organization. Now that the web site is designed, how do you reach your audiences through the web site and the web? Make sure the web site is ranked high within the search engines. Drive traffic to your web site by adding the URL to at least the top three search engines: Google, Yahoo, and MSN.   Review your keyword metatags for each individual web page. Be sure to use keywords that your target audiences use when searching for information.   Submit your site to key directories.   Link your site to other web sites, such as other organizations similar to yours, chamber of commerce, etc. Well, not only can you reach your audience through placing it on search engines, but you can also reach your audience with other online marketing tactics. According to Hershey Philbin Associates, here are suggestions for reaching your audiences: Press Releases Issue success stories, announcements of new hires, and other newsworthy items to the organization's contact database, media, and online news databases.   Electronic Newsletters Distribute an e-newsletter to appropriate contacts. It provides information appropriate to the audience; allows you to build awareness of your organization; and moves people to your web site.   Email Announcements Alert your audiences of upcoming events with email announcements. Distribute the announcement via email, including your web site and contact information in the email.   Online Blogs Post your own blogs on your web site regarding information on your organization or facts pertaining to your industry. When individuals conduct searches, your blog will appear if it is relevant to the search criteria. This will lead visitors to your web site to post their comments on your information or even the press releases that you recently distributed.   Banner Ads Purchase banner ad space on web sites your audience visits. The banner ad can link back to your web site. If you need additional information on any of these topics, please contact The Resource Center for Disability Advocates. The Resource Center for Disability Advocates Provided by Independent Living Consultant Services 207 House Avenue, Suite 107, Camp Hill, PA 17011-2308 Local (717) 731-1900 (717) 737-1335 (TTY) Toll Free (800) 323-6060 (800) 829-7404 (TTY) This program is funded in part through the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council.