Concept Note

Task force on Leadership & Mentoring
for Children and Young Women with Disabilities

The Issue

Access to mentoring opportunities and positive role models is an important strategy for empoweringyouth with disabilities to achieve their human rights and full potential. Too often, youthwith disabilities accept the exclusion and discrimination they face because they have not adopted a rights-bearing attitude. Without role models and information about living with their disabilities, youth with disabilities lack the knowledge, skills and tools to improve their lives and communities. If they have not witnessed examples of what is possible, they may have difficulty imagining a different situation. Youth with disabilities who might have been interested in working for change may never have the opportunity to developthe leadership and advocacy skills necessary to create change. Providing mentoring and examples of role models with disabilitiescan break down preconceived notions for what is possible, challenge stereotypes and change community perceptions.

Reasons for the lack of role models with disabilities are varied. One contributing factor is the lack of opportunity to achieve. Although many countries have disability rights laws, educational and employment opportunities historically have not been available to people with disabilities as they have to people without disabilities.Pervasive environmental and attitudinal barriers still exist that prevent people with disabilities from achieving, such as lack of services and accessible transportation. The media may also contribute to the absence of role models with disabilities and stereotyping of people with disabilities, often focusing on heroics of people with disabilities or an achievement “in spite of a disability”. In addition, disability is often not experienced generationally, meaning a person with a disability may be the only one in their family, and therefore mayneed to look elsewhere for positive role models with disabilities.

Women and girls with disabilities experience even greater barriers than men and boys with disabilities, based on culture, family structures, societal attitudes and stereotypes, institutional systems, law and legal processes, economic realities, patriarchy, and paternalism. In many countries young women take on additional care- giving responsibilities, such as caring for aging parents and motherhood, even at young ages. Extra responsibilities can lead to less time for leadership roles, professional growth, and economic empowerment. As a result, women and girls with disabilities are more often denied access to the positive role models and mentors that they need to set positive, realistic expectations and to make expansive educational, vocational and social choices.
Benefits of Mentoring and Role Models
Studies show that the benefits of mentoring for youth include improved academic performance, higher college enrollment rates and higher educational aspirations, enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence, stronger relationships with parents, teachers and peers, improved interpersonal skills, increased career awareness and ability to make vocational and educational choices.While there are less studies showcasing the impact of mentoring on youth with disabilities specifically, research has revealed that mentors can (in addition to the outcomes listed above) positively impact self-advocacy skills, increase confidence to overcome disability-related barriers, and improve self-efficacy for youth with disabilities.Role models with disabilities not only benefit people with disabilities, but can have a positive impact on the broader community as well. More opportunities for interaction between people with and without disabilities contribute to reduction of fear and stigma.

Despite the invisibility of role models with disabilities, there are many successful people with disabilities. They are entrepreneurs, athletes, politicians, CEOs, artists, writers, actors, humanitarians, and more.Many people with disabilities who serve as role models and mentors for others, have also noted how rewarding it is personally and professionally to be able to make positive contributions to society as leaders.

Although the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) does not use the terminology of mentoring or role models specifically, it does mention the importance of preserving identities, and enjoying all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with other children.

Potential areas where the L&M GPcwd Task Force may influence the global agenda:

  • Share information about opportunities for youth and young women with disabilities to develop leadership skills and cross-cultural competencies (i.e. scholarships, degree and certificate programs, international exchanges, fellowships, internships, trainings, and conferences).
  • Provide resources and links that portray youth with disabilities as positive role models.
  • Explore ways to connect alumni from various leadership programs to be listed by country so they can serve as mentors to community groups in their country.
  • Encourage members to utilize a twin-track approach which includes disability inclusion and establishing disability focused leadership programs based on human rights principles.
  • Encourage youth and professionals who work with youth to “move from inclusion to infiltration” by being proactive and joining the hundreds of already established youth programs that exist around the world.

Resources:

Anderson, Ronald J. and Joan M. Karp (1998). “The Role of Support Systems for Educators with Disabilities” inEnhancing Diversity: Educators with Disabilities. Gallaudet University Press.

Alexrod, Campbell, Holt (2005). Best Practices for Mentoring Youth with Disabilities.

E. Burgess, “Participation in Sport”, Sport for Persons with a Disability, Perspectives (Volume 7), C. Higgs & Y. Vanlandewijck, Eds (Berlin: ICSSPE, Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities 2007) at 35-39. [Burgess, “Participation”] 35-39.

Frohmader, Carolyn and Ann Storr. (2000) Taking the Lead. A Leadership and Mentoring Resource Kit for Women with Disabilities. Women with Disabilities Australia.

Mobility International USA. (2013)Harnessing The Power And Resilience of Disabled Women Leaders. Forbes.com.

Rousso, Harilyn. Access to Role Models, Mentors and Muses: A Strategy to Promote Employment" (1999) published by the World Institute on Disability (WID), Oakland, California.

U.S. Department of Labor. (2013)