Mentoring students and professionals with disabilities.

Abstract

Mentoring can have a significant positive impact on the lives of individuals. People with disabilities seeking to locate mentors face a variety of potential challenges and benefits. This article addresses mentoring-related issues faced by professionals with disabilities. The article presents a model of mentoring and discusses the difficulties faced by individuals with disabilities in locating mentors. It describes the negative impact of the lack of available mentors upon the educational and vocational development of people with disabilities. It offers effective strategies aimed at enhancing mentoring relationships with people with disabilities, including macrofocused strategies capable of enhancing the effectiveness of disability-related mentoring programs and microfocused strategies useful in developing quality mentoring relationships.

Mentoring Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Evaluation of Role-Specific Workshops for Mentors and Mentees

“…This is important as learning the appropriate form of language when talking with an individual with a disability can potentially improve the behavior and attitudes of mentees towards mentors (Feldman et al 2002 ). Studies have also shown the need for mentors to be trained on encouraging mentees to talk about their disability, to dispel biases and assumptions (Rhodes et al 2009 ), which can hamper the quality of the relationship (Daughtry et al 2009 ). Having more knowledge of their disability can aid this process.…”

The availability and intelligibility of information for carers of children with a brain injury

“…With regard to brain injury, disability may arise from either an acquired illness or injury, or a progressively degenerative disorder (Daughty et al, 2009). Acquired brain injury occurs after a normal period of development and is due…”

Academic pipeline for scientists with disabilities

“…There is a vicious cycle for persons with disabilities interested in STEM. 12 Many do not achieve their educational goals and become underemployed or unemployed. The April 2018 labor force participation rate for persons with disabilities in the United States is only 20.9% with an 8.0% unemployment rate, compared to 68.3% and 3.5%, respectively, for people without disabilities.…”