What is an Accessibility Volunteer?

Accessibility Volunteers make sure the Disability Pride Parade is inclusive, welcoming, and enjoyable for everyone. They help ensure that people with disabilities have the support they need throughout the event. Accessibility Volunteers provide guidance, assist with navigating the space, offer accommodations like seating support, and direct participants to accessible pathways, restrooms, and resources. Their role is to uphold the spirit of disability pride by making sure no one is left out of the celebration.

What are the Different Accessibility Roles?

• Access Guides: Assist attendees with directions, finding seating, and navigating between Madison Square Park, the parade route, and Union Square.

• ASL/Language Support Volunteers: Provide communication access through sign language, interpretation, or multilingual support

• Seating & Rest Area Volunteers: Help manage accessible seating and rest areas for attendees who need breaks.

• Mobility Support Volunteers: Direct participants to ramps, accessible pathways, and help ensure parade route accessibility.

• Access Monitors: Watch for barriers and report/resolve accessibility issues during the event.

Event Timeline

Note: This schedule is subject to change.

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Parade Line-Up & Gathering
Madison Square Park

• Access Guides – Welcome attendees, provide directions, and assist with finding blocks.

• Access Info Table Volunteers – Hand out accessibility maps and answer questions.

• Mobility Support Volunteers – Assist participants with mobility needs and direct Access-A-Ride drop-offs.
  
  

11:00 AM | Parade Kickoff
Route: Madison Square Park → Broadway → Union Square

• Access Guides – Support navigation along the parade route.

• Mobility Support Volunteers – Ensure accessible pathways stay clear.

• Access Monitors – Watch for barriers and resolve issues quickly.
  
  

12:00 PM | Block Party
Union Square Park

• Seating & Rest Area Volunteers – Manage accessible seating, distribute water if needed, and provide check-ins.

• ASL/Language Support Volunteers – Assist with communication access for activities.

• Access Guides – Support attendee movement between activities and rest areas.
  
  

12:30 PM | Remarks & Spotlights
Union Square Park

• ASL/Language Support Volunteers – Provide access during speeches and announcements.

• Access Monitors – Stay alert to accessibility needs near the stage and gathering space.
  
  

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Performances
Union Square Park

• Seating & Rest Area Volunteers – Continue to assist with seating/rest areas.

• Access Guides – Direct attendees between activities, exits, and restrooms.

• Access Monitors – Ensure spaces remain inclusive and accessible.

Sign Up

If you're interested in being a member of the Accessibility Team, you can sign up using the General Volunteer Registration Form by Wednesday, October 15, 2026.

Please note that this position is only available on the day of the Parade, as are the Information and Creative Volunteer roles. If you're interested in helping to plan the Parade, you can be a Fundraising, Theme Execution, or Outreach Volunteer. For more information, visit those pages.

Accessibility Team

What Is an Accessibility Volunteer?

Accessibility Volunteers help make the Disability Pride NYC Parade welcoming, accessible, and enjoyable for everyone. They work alongside disabled participants, the Parade accessibility team, and other volunteers to help identify and address access barriers, provide accessible information, keep accessible routes and areas clear, and connect participants with access supports and resources.

Disabled people and people with lived experience and expertise in accessibility are especially encouraged to help shape, lead, and participate in this work.

Accessibility Volunteers should offer assistance rather than assume it is needed, communicate directly with the person whenever possible, respect each person’s independence and choices, and ask before providing individual assistance.

What Are the Different Accessibility Roles?

• Access Guides: Welcome participants, provide accessible information and directions, and help people locate Parade blocks, seating, rest areas, restrooms, transportation locations, Quiet Areas, and other resources.

• Access Information Volunteers: Staff accessibility information areas, provide accessible maps and information, answer questions, and connect participants with members of the accessibility team.

• Blind and Low-Vision Access Volunteers: Help support audio description, accessible information, wayfinding, and other blind and low-vision access. Blind and low-vision volunteers are especially encouraged to help shape and participate in this work.

• Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard-of-Hearing Access Volunteers: Help participants connect with ASL interpretation, CART (real-time captioning), and other communication access supports. Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard-of-hearing volunteers are especially encouraged to help shape and participate in this work.

• ASL Interpreters: Qualified ASL interpreters are welcome to support communication access throughout the Parade and Disability Pride Block Party.

• Language Access Volunteers: Multilingual volunteers can help provide information and support communication with participants who use languages other than English.

• Seating, Rest Area, and Sensory Access Volunteers: Help keep accessible seating and rest areas available and organized, provide information about the Quiet Area and sensory access, and help participants locate water and other resources.

• Mobility and Route Access Volunteers: Help monitor ramps, curb cuts, accessible pathways, and other route access; help keep accessible routes clear; and identify physical barriers for the accessibility team.

• Access Monitors: Watch for physical, communication, sensory, or other access barriers and report them to the appropriate accessibility or event team so they can be addressed.

Volunteers should not push wheelchairs, physically guide participants, or provide other personal mobility assistance unless the participant requests assistance and the volunteer is appropriately prepared to provide it.

Event Timeline

Note: This schedule is subject to change.

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Parade Line-Up & Gathering

Madison Square Park

• Access Guides: Welcome participants, provide directions and accessible information, and help people find their Parade blocks and other locations.

• Access Information Volunteers: Provide accessible maps and information, answer questions, and connect participants with access supports.

• Mobility and Route Access Volunteers: Help keep accessible routes and pathways clear and provide directions to designated Access-A-Ride and other transportation locations.

• Blind and Low-Vision Access Volunteers: Help support wayfinding, accessible information, and connections to audio description and other access supports.

• Access Monitors: Identify access barriers in lineup and gathering areas and communicate them to the appropriate event team.

11:00 AM | Parade Kickoff

Route: Madison Square Park → Broadway → Union Square Park

• Access Guides: Provide accessible information and support wayfinding along the Parade route.

• Mobility and Route Access Volunteers: Help keep accessible pathways, curb cuts, and crossings clear.

• Access Monitors: Identify barriers and communicate them quickly to the appropriate event team.

12:00 PM | Disability Pride Block Party

Union Square Park

• Seating, Rest Area, and Sensory Access Volunteers: Help maintain accessible seating and rest areas, provide information about the Quiet Area and sensory access, and connect participants with water and other resources.

• Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard-of-Hearing Access Volunteers: Help connect participants with ASL interpretation, CART, and other communication access supports.

• Language Access Volunteers: Help support communication with participants who use languages other than English.

• Access Guides: Provide information and directions to activities, rest areas, restrooms, Quiet Areas, exits, and other resources.

• Access Monitors: Help identify and report access barriers throughout the Block Party.

12:10 PM | Remarks & Spotlights

Union Square Park

• ASL Interpreters and Communication Access Volunteers: Help support communication access during remarks and announcements, including ASL interpretation and CART.

• Access Monitors: Help identify access barriers around the stage, accessible seating, and gathering areas.

• Blind and Low-Vision Access Volunteers: Help connect participants with audio description and other available access information.

12:40 PM – 3:00 PM | Performances & Community Engagement

Union Square Park

• Seating, Rest Area, and Sensory Access Volunteers: Continue helping maintain accessible seating, rest areas, and Quiet Areas.

• Access Guides: Provide information and directions to activities, exits, restrooms, Quiet Areas, transportation locations, and other resources.

• Access Monitors: Help identify barriers and keep accessible routes and areas clear.

• Communication Access Volunteers: Help participants locate ASL interpretation, CART, and other available communication access supports.

Access for Accessibility Volunteers

Disabled people are encouraged to participate and lead throughout the Accessibility Team. Accessibility roles should be accessible to the volunteers doing them, too.

When you register, let us know about your access needs and the kinds of assignments that work best for you. Opportunities can include seated roles, shorter shifts, lower-sensory assignments, advance preparation, and other ways of participating.

You do not need to disclose a disability or explain why you need an access support in order to volunteer.

Sign Up

If you're interested in being a member of the Accessibility Team, you can sign up using the General Volunteer Registration Form.

We encourage Accessibility Volunteers to register as early as possible so we can plan assignments, training, and volunteer access together.

Accessibility Volunteers can help before the Parade, on Parade day, or both. Volunteers with lived experience, professional expertise, or ideas about making the Parade more accessible are encouraged to become involved in advance planning as well as on-the-day accessibility.

Not sure which accessibility role is right for you? Tell us about your interests, experience, expertise, and access needs, and we'll work with you to find a role that is a good fit.