Thank you for visiting this web page. The Berkeley area has a large disability population which is internationally known for its advancements in independent living and disability rights. One of the keys to this group's success has been the support provided by the students and community members who have worked as attendants for various people with disabilities. If you are unfamiliar with attendant work, answers to a number of frequently asked questions are provided in a FAQ.

Not everyone is cut-out for attendant work, but for many people it is ideal. Having a flexible schedule and working one-to-one are two of the most often given reasons why people become and stay attendants. Others see it as an opportunity for personal growth and for learning about persons with disabilities. For some it is the idea of doing work which is socially meaningful that is attractive. Attendant work provides a steady income and job references that look good on a resume, especially if one decides to look further into health careers like medicine. Some positions also offer great opportunities for travel.

This web page will assist you with contacting members of Berkeley's disability community who are looking for attendants. The type of work can range from simple housekeeping/cooking/laundry to slightly more personal care like assisting the person to bed to more personal care like dressing/bathing. This web page has a form which will help you describe what kind of work you are interested in and what experience you might have helping people with disabilities. There is no general rule for experience as it usually depends on the person and the nature of the work. Experience can be helpful, but not always necessary.

If you are interested in communicating with people who are looking for attendants, please feel free to fill out the form on this page. The information you provide will be used to create a note which will be sent to the berkeley-attendants mailing list. The members of this list are people with disabilities who are currently hiring attendants to assist them in their homes. If you specify an email address, a copy of the note will also be mailed to you. If you would prefer not to have your phone number distributed to the list, please be sure to specify an email address so that people may contact you. (Note: the message that is sent to the email list will have the address you specify as the sender of the mail so that people can more easily respond to you.)

For most of the fields listed in the form, a special ? link is provided which will display a small window containing additional information about the field.