Disability Mentoring Day

Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) is a large-scale national effort coordinated by AAPD to promote career development for students and job-seekers with disabilities through career exploration and ongoing mentoring relationships.

While DMD has been and continues to be officially recognized on the third Wednesday of each October during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), the foundation of the program has expanded to a year-round initiative.

The growth of DMD is made possible by the unwavering work of DMD Coordinators across the country who volunteer their time to host local and regional programs. These events produce life changing results for mentees, such as full-time employment and internship opportunities. AAPD continues to increase the reach of DMD through growing its network of DMD coordinators. If you or anyone you know may be interested or want additional information on becoming a DMD coordinator, please sign up here or email us at DMD@aapd.com.

Sign Up For AAPD’s Virtual Career & Internship Fair

October 19, 2022 from 2-4:30 PM ET

In observance of NDEAM and DMD, AAPD will be hosting our third virtual fall career and internship fair on Wednesday, October 19 from 2-4:30PM ET. During this event, disabled jobseekers will have opportunities to hear from employer’s mission of disability inclusion efforts and potential job and internship opportunities.

Target Audience: This career fair is for higher education students and job-seekers with disabilities

When: October 19, 2022 from 2-4:30 PM ET

Where: This career fair will be conducted virtually using the Zoom platform. The link and call-in instructions will be sent to participants closer to the event.

Format: Tentatively planned for multiple Zoom rooms where attendees may visit concurrent presentations based on job sectors.

Accommodations: American Sign Language interpretation and real-time captions will be provided. If you need other accommodations, please email dmd@aapd.com.

Promoting NDEAM & DMD Events

One major aspect of our work is to consolidate, share and amplify the various events and initiatives to our broad network. Whether you are a corporation, non-profit organization, Government agency, educational or vocational rehabilitation agency or disability ally, we want to uplift your event. To promote your event on AAPD’s NDEAM/DMD webpage, you will need to provide your event details, registration deadlines and additional information using the form below:

Promote Your DMD Event

Upcoming Events

Event Name: Bender Leadership Academy DMD Event

Event Date: October 19, 2022

Event Time: 9:30am – 1:00pm ET

Event Location: Multiple Locations in Pennsylvania

Event Description: Over 500 students with disabilities visit over 25 companies in Western PA to learn about the world of work.

Get Involved

Disability Mentoring Day Toolkit

AAPD has developed a DMD Toolkit for coordinators interested in engaging with Disability Mentoring Day and starting their own event. The toolkit contains an FAQ section, factors to keep in mind when organizing an event, where to find mentors, media outreach, and so much more. If there are any questions that may not be covered in this resource, please feel free to email us at dmd@aapd.com.

Disability Mentoring Day Events

Due to the growing uncertainty around the novel coronavirus, AAPD strongly encourages DMD coordinators to shift their events online. The safety of our participants is our number one priority as we approach an unpredictable cold and flu season. Based on a recent CDC report, as of September 8, 2020, the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. rose above 6 million and has resulted in over 188,000 deaths. This is especially alarming for people with disabilities, who may be at a greater risk of contracting and experiencing health complications due to this virus. For an up-to-date tracker of the COVID-19 cases, you may visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website here.

Details on DMD events can be found here.

DMD Coordinators

DMD Coordinators are the volunteers that make Disability Mentoring Day possible each year all around the country. Coordinators are responsible for setting up DMD events in their community and making connections between students with disabilities, job seekers with disabilities, high schools, colleges and universities, local/state disability organizations, and businesses. Events take many different shapes and forms around the country depending on the volunteer coordinator and the needs of the local community, but include job shadowing, one-on-one mentoring, panel discussions, professional development workshops, informational interviews, and more. We’ve received countless stories from DMD coordinators on the profound difference this one day can have for young people with disabilities, including leading to their first paid internship or job.

If you are interested in volunteering as a Disability Mentoring Day Coordinator please complete the online application form below. If you have any questions please email dmd@aapd.com.

Disability Mentoring Day Coordinator Sign-up Form

Mentors and Mentees

AAPD has an extensive list of active DMD coordinators across the country that we can share with potential participants interested in becoming a DMD mentee or mentor as well as businesses and organizations looking to help host and/or sponsor a DMD. If interested, please email us at DMD@aapd.com.

Businesses and Organizations

Whether it’s through serving as sponsors, event hosts, or mentors, corporations, local businesses, government agencies, and other organizations have been the driving force for moving the success of DMD forward. To learn more about the opportunities to have your organization get involved with DMD in a local community, please email us at DMD@aapd.com.