DMD is designed to bring students and job seekers with disabilities into the workplace where they can learn about various career opportunities. Through DMD, students and job seekers ("mentees") are paired with a career professional (the "mentor") to learn what it means to work in a particular field or occupation. The mentees observe a typical workday, identifying necessary skills, and learn about possible internships or employment prospects. While DMD is a one-day event, mentors and mentees are encouraged to stay in touch after the event. Mentoring is an invaluable and beneficial tool for both the mentor and mentee, designed to advance career development and personal growth.

How Do Employers Benefit?
Disability Mentoring Day provides potential employers with opportunities to:

• Recruit short- and long-term interns.
  
• Gain access to a pool of new emerging talent.
  
• Learn more about the experience of disability.
  
• Develop lasting relationships with disability community leaders.
  
• Gain exposure through media coverage of the event.
  
• Demonstrate positive leadership in their community.
  
• Promote job satisfaction with and the development of their current workforce.

What occurs on a typical mentoring day?

• Mentees will be responsible for their own transportation.
  
• Although the mentees are job seekers, and some mentees are offered positions by the mentors, this is not an expectation of Disability Mentoring Day.
  
• In many companies, staff members are assigned to be the on-site mentor for the mentee. The mentee experience is up to you, the employer, based on your company's structure and policies. These are some common things that mentors do:
  
  • Give a tour of the company site
    
  • Have the mentee (s) job shadow employees at your site so they can better understand the job
    
  • Allow the mentee (s) do some of the tasks of the job