
If you were a mentor for Disability Mentoring Day, click here to take a short survey.
Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) is a national program that promotes career development for students and job seekers with disabilities through job shadowing and hands-on career exploration. It is designed to empower students and job seekers with disabilities, promote a diverse workplace, and assist employers with recruiting new talent. DMD is held annually on the third Wednesday in October.

Four local Student Mentees and two Pratt City Fire Department EMS and Firemen pose in front of a fire engine at the Pratt City Fire Department DMD 2009 Job Shadow site location. Students were interested in becoming EMS Technicians or Firemen.
The objectives are to increase internship and employment opportunities for people with disabilities, to dispel employers’ fears about hiring people with disabilities, to promote disability as a central part of diversity recruitment for a more inclusive workforce, and to serve as a launching point for year-round efforts to foster more career–oriented mentoring opportunities.

Mentor with Morgan Diesel of Pratt explains welding equipment parts to a local Student Mentee interested in becoming a Welder at the DMD 2009 worksite.
Activities include recruiting high school students/mentees with disabilities for a day of career exploration, locating employers/mentors to mentor the students, arranging transportation for students to and from work, and organizing the mentor/mentee breakfast and reception. Activities are carried out by a steering committee made up of local community partners.
If you would like to make a financial contribution to this annual project, make checks payable to Prairie Independent Living Resource Center and mail to Erica Rivera, 17 S Main St., Hutchinson, KS 67501. If you would like to participate as a mentee, mentor, or for more information, contact Cindy Daniels, cdaniels@pilr.org.

Senator Ruth Teichman and PILR Employment Specialist and Pratt Office Manager, Linda Adelhardt greet participants at our DMD 2009 morning event hosted at the First United Methodist Church in Pratt, KS.
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