About Disability Mentoring Day
Florida Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) is part of a national, broad-based effort to promote career development for students and job seekers with disabilities through hands-on career exploration, job shadowing and internships or employment opportunities. Students and job seekers are matched with employers for a job shadowing experience at their place of business. DMD is commemorated the third Wednesday of October, in conjunction with National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

What can DMD Do For You
Disability Mentoring Day enables students and job-seekers to spend part of a day visiting a business or government agency that matches their interests and have one-on-one time with volunteer mentors. DMD offers mentees the opportunity to evaluate personal goals, target career skills for improvement explore possible career paths develop lasting mentor relationships

Get Involved in DMD Be a Mentee! 
One-on-One Job Shadowing 
You can be matched individually with an employer to learn more about his or her typical workday and gain insight about how to prepare for your particular  career field.



Group Mentoring 
You can tour an employer's worksite with a group of mentees and meet with various employees from different departments to gain insight that will help you prepare for your chosen career. 

The Benefits of DMD
Participation by students' and job seekers' in past Disability Mentoring Day events led to internship opportunities with the host employer, functioned as a first interview resulting in part-time or full-time
employment or a job offer at the end of the DMD experience.

How Do I Get Involved?
Community Liaisons are based throughout
Florida to help connect participating Mentees with Employer Mentors for the day.
You can visit the Florida DMD website to find out if there is a Community Liaison near you at www.floridadmd.org.
If you do not have a community liaison in your area but still want to participate, contact The Able Trust at 888.838.2253 to find out how.

Photograph 
Caption
Jennifer Skaja of Florida Space Authority  with her mentor, Jonathon, from the Univesity of Central Florida.


The History of DMD
Disability Mentoring Day is sponsored nationally by the American Association of People with Disabilities. It began in 1999 as part of a White House effort to increase the profile of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, celebrated every October. National Disability Mentoring Day was patterned after other school-to- work activities such as the National Groundhog Job Shadow Day, and began with just three-dozen student participants.

Florida Disability Mentoring Day is organized by a collaborative partnership of The Able Trust, the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation and other Statewide partners. The committee provides support to local community liaisons who coordinate the matchmaking experience between mentees and mentors.

Caption
"My day with Dr. Jordan and Dr. Purvis could not have been better! I got to see surgery on a dog thathad a broken leg. I found it to be exciting because I want to be a veterinarian. At the end of the day they offered me a summer internship and I can't wait to go back for another day just to shadow them!"

For More Information 
Visit www.floridadmd.org Or Call 888.838.2253