Become part of an international community and advocate for wheelchair accessibility. In this program, you will learn everything about Wheelmap and accessibility. Upon finishing this program, you will become an official ambassador for our non-profit organization.
Update: The application period for 2021 is closed. Please check again next spring.
Plain Language
- Wheelmap is an online map for places that wheelchair users can get into.
- We are looking for people who like to learn new things.
- You can take part in a program to learn about using Wheelmap.
- The program will teach you to teach other people about Wheelmap and about the problems wheelchair users have in getting into places.
- You don’t have to pay money for the program, everything is free.
- You have to fulfill some requirements to join.
- If you join in you will become a ‘Wheelmap Ambassador’.
The Ambassador Program is supported by a grant from MSD.
What’s in it for you
- The complete program is free of cost for you
- Receive training in community engagement and (digital) activism
- Get access to the exclusive technology of Wheelmap.PRO
- Be certified as a Wheelmap Ambassador once you have finished the program
- Improve the accessibility of your neighborhood
- Become part of an international community of activists and accessibility experts
Requirements for Ambassadors
- Decent computer skills: email, video calls, social media
- Good understanding and communication in English and or German is necessary (the app is available in 32 languages, so your local activities can be in a different language).
- Access to a smartphone so that you can map on site.
- Commitment for approximately 2 hours a week from April until September 2021
- Willingness to organize a mapping event (if Covid-19 situation allows to).
Application
The application period for 2021 is closed. Please check again next spring.
We look forward to receiving your application next year.
FAQ
Here you will find all further important information:
In our ambassador training program, volunteers will be trained to use the app with a high level of expertise and to initiate and conduct mapping events themselves. They will be active in spreading the word about Wheelmap, to encourage others to add information to Wheelmap. Also, they will get access to some exclusive technology of Wheelmap PRO.
The Wheelmap Ambassador Program is for people with a mobility impairment and other volunteers who see the necessity in raising awareness for accessibility and who want to dedicate some time to this cause.
With the Wheelmap Ambassador Program we have developed a scalable training plan that works on an international level. The goal is to empower volunteers from all over the world to promote the use of Wheelmap so that, everybody can profit from the information which is already available and start adding information themselves. In this way, the impact of useful information and the awareness for accessibility can be driven forward in a joint international strategy based on a volunteer network.
We have developed a 6-month activity plan for the volunteers, combining a training period with carrying out their own mapping campaign with support from the Wheelmap team. The first part will prepare the volunteers by equipping them with all the tools, materials, and theoretical and practical knowledge needed to apply their Wheelmap expertise in the second part of the program. The main goal for volunteers will be to organize, set up and run their own local mapping event.
- Deadline for your online application is February 28th, 11:59pm CET
- Selection process will be finished by March 15th, 2021
- The program will run from April 1st until September 30th, 2021
- You will need to dedicate 2 hours per week to the Ambassador Program, partly in online meetings, partly on your own time.
- We will go through all the applications and then conduct 1:1 online interviews with all the candidates who fulfill the necessary criteria.
- We will select up to 20 candidates and invite them to the program.
- If some slots are not filled, we will invite more suitable candidates until the 20 slots are all taken.
- The program will run completely online. You can participate from anywhere!
- Online meetings will accommodate participants who have to work during the day or are in different time zones.
The Wheelmap team will provide a set of “How-to”-videos, online presentations, checklists, handouts and informational emails explaining the background of the project, the functionalities of the app, the organization of a mapping event and general PR skills for the communication with the local press and on social media. Participants will also be supported by regular calls, chats and emails to clarify questions as they come up. As an additional channel for exchange within the group, participants will have access to a virtual learning environment where they can share their experiences and support and encourage each other during and after the six-month program. At the end of the program, Ambassadors will be able to train new community members to become active wheelmap users as well.
The final goal of the program for each volunteer will be to organize their own local mapping event with 10-20 people (in their neighborhood, online or as a combination of both). This will give everyone a chance to put what they learned into practice and to experience the impact of their engagement. The Ambassadors will pass on their knowledge about Wheelmap and accessibility issues to others, raise awareness and make a visible difference by enriching the information on Wheelmap.org. The mapping events can be part of a bigger international Wheelmap campaign that normally takes place twice a year for 4-6 weeks and focuses on a special mapping topic such as the importance of wheelchair accessible restrooms. This creates a more meaningful experience and the feeling of belonging to a bigger movement of social change. After this self organized mapping event the training is completed and the participants are appointed Wheelmap Ambassadors.
The participants can make use of a set of online tools which will be provided by us:
- A mapping event planning tool that tracks the mapping activities of each Ambassador and the whole mapping group, which has been developed to support the invitation, organisation and PR activities.
- Webinars and integrated learning environments
- Internal peer-to-peer community communication for students of this training course
- Training and certification with regard to specific official norms (like DIN)
- 24/7 availability
- In person support on location
