Finding Mentors and Role Models for Kids with Disabilities

Finding the right mentors and role models can be life-changing for any young person, but for kids and teens with disabilities, it can be transformative in ways many people never fully see. Mentorship offers belonging, visibility, guidance, and a sense of possibility — and yet, finding those guides isn’t always simple.

The good news? There are more pathways today than ever before, and each of us has the power to make those pathways clearer, stronger, and more accessible.

Below are fresh challenges often faced by families and youth in the disability community when seeking mentors — along with practical, hopeful solutions that anyone can help support.

Everyday Challenges Families and Teens Face

1. A Shortage of “Disability-Diverse” Mentors

Many youth cannot find mentors who share their specific disability, especially in communities where disability is still underrepresented in leadership roles. Kids who use AAC, deafblind youth, or teens with intellectual disabilities, for example, may rarely see adults who reflect their lived experience.

2. Mentors Who Don’t Understand Intersectionality

Teens who live at the intersection of disability plus race, gender identity, socioeconomic status, or neurodivergence often struggle to find mentors who understand all layers of their identity. This can lead to well-meaning guidance that doesn’t quite fit their reality.

3. Programs That Aren’t Accessible by Default

Even when a mentorship program exists, it might not support ASL interpreters, sensory-friendly spaces, cognitive accessibility, mobility needs, or virtual participation. This leaves many families feeling like mentorship is something they always have to “fit into,” rather than something built with them in mind.

4. Safety Concerns — Especially for Kids Who Communicate Differently

Families of kids with intellectual disabilities, non-speaking youth, or teens with communication disorders often worry about abuse, misunderstanding, or unsafe dynamics when mentors lack training in disability-informed communication.

5. Teens Feeling “Othered” or Unworthy of Mentorship

Some teens have internalized negative societal messages and assume that mentorship is for “other kids” — kids without chronic illness flare-ups, sensory differences, or fatigue. For them, the barrier isn’t logistics — it’s believing they belong in spaces where leaders are cultivated.

Practical, Hopeful Solutions

1. Expand What Counts as a Mentor

A mentor doesn’t have to be a professional with the same disability — they can be:

• A young adult a few years ahead in their education journey

• A community member with disability-positive values

• A parent-peer mentor

• A creator, advocate, or leader with a disability teens can follow online

Broadening the definition opens more doors for kids.

2. Build Intersectional Mentorship Networks

Families and organizations can intentionally seek out mentors who understand multiple identities. Practical steps include:

• Partnering with cultural centers, LGBTQ+ youth groups, or community coalitions

• Encouraging adults with disabilities from diverse backgrounds to join advisory boards

• Supporting teens in finding mentors for each identity they hold

Intersectional mentorship helps teens feel seen in full color.

3. Advocate for and Model Accessible Program Design

Anyone — including people outside the disability community — can have “skin in the game” by:

• Asking organizations, “Is this program accessible?”

• Donating to support interpreters, adaptive materials, or transportation

• Volunteering to help programs redesign their intake, website, or meeting spaces

• Modeling accessibility in their own events and programs

Accessibility grows when more people expect it as the norm.

4. Promote Safe, Trauma-Informed Mentorship Training

Families can look for — or request — programs that include:

• Disability-informed communication skills

• Training about AAC, sensory needs, and behavioral communication

• Clear boundaries and ethical guidelines

• Background checks and mentorship monitoring

Youth deserve mentors who are not only inspiring, but also safe and well-prepared.

5. Normalize That Teens with Disabilities Are Absolutely Mentor-Worthy

Parents, teachers, and community members can:

• Celebrate leaders with disabilities publicly

• Share stories of trailblazers with disabilities in careers, sports, advocacy, and arts

• Encourage teens to mentor younger kids (even in small ways)

• Reinforce that mentorship isn’t a reward — it’s a right

When adults reflect belief in a teen’s worth, teens start to believe it too.

Everyone Has a Role — Here’s How You Can Help

You don’t need to be part of the disability community to support mentorship access. Anyone can:

• Invite speakers with disabilities or leaders into classrooms and youth programs

• Share opportunities with families who might not have access

• Volunteer time to support inclusive events

• Advocate for accessibility budgets within your workplace or community

• Become a mentor yourself — even if you think you’re “not qualified”

Small, consistent actions have ripple effects that change lives.

A Hopeful Path Forward

Finding mentors and role models for kids with disabilities is both a challenge and an incredible opportunity. When we expand our definition of mentorship, commit to accessibility, support intersectional experiences, and invest in safe, affirming relationships, we create a world where kids with disabilities grow up knowing they belong in leadership, creativity, innovation, and community-building.

The path forward is clear:
See youth with disabilities . Support mentors with disabilities. Build accessible spaces. Speak possibility into everyday life.

When we do that, we don’t just help kids with disabilities — we strengthen entire communities and shape a future where everyone has someone to look up to, and everyone has the chance to become someone worth looking up to.