Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame

University of San Diego

“Femtorship is about creating support and building real relationships. My students are navigating an ocean of uncertainty, and my goal is to be someone they feel has their back because safety is energetic, not bureaucratic.”

San Diego State University

“Mentoring is about helping people find their voice, embrace their identity, and recognize the power they already have. Every time someone finds community, builds confidence, or realizes they belong, that impact extends far beyond one person. I believe disability is diversity, and my goal is to help create a future where disabled people are valued as leaders, experts, and changemakers. Through mentorship, we can challenge outdated assumptions, dismantle systems that exclude, and create communities where disability is considered from the start, not as an afterthought. If I’ve done my job well, the next generation will not just navigate those systems. They’ll transform them.”

Disability Policy Expert

“Mentorship means everything to me. The disability community has such a powerful culture of mentorship, and the relationships I have built as both a mentor and mentee have sustained me through some of the most challenging periods of my life. Mentorship is how we share knowledge, build confidence, and remind one another that we belong. In my own mentoring experiences, I strive to create a culture of access intimacy, flexibility, patience, and community care. I believe disabled people are already experts, leaders, and changemakers. Mentorship can help people recognize their strengths, hone their skills, and reach their goals, because they know they have a soft place to land and a community supporting them.”

disABILITY LINK—Executive director

“Mentoring, to me, means inspiring others to learn more, do more, and believe more in what they are capable of becoming. It is about encouragement, growth, and helping people recognize their own potential so they can own their own lives in whatever path they choose.”

Artist, Advocate, and Community Worker

“To me, mentoring is about walking alongside someone as they build confidence and move toward their goals. It is not about having all the answers, but about listening, sharing knowledge, offering encouragement, and creating opportunities for growth. In my experiences as a mentor, I learn just as much as I teach. As someone with lived experience of recovery and disability, I see mentoring as a way to help others feel seen, valued, and empowered. I strive to create supportive, accessible spaces where people can explore their creativity and recognize their own strengths. For me, mentoring is about building meaningful relationships that create community, community that lasts a lifetime.”

Autism Mentorship Program, Autism Society of Minnesota

“Mentoring is a way for me to pass along my hard earned life experience and hard learned practical skills so that others can have a smoother path than I did.”

Disability Advocate, Scholar, and Higher Education Leader

“Mentoring means helping people discover their own power. It is about opening doors, building confidence, and reminding people with disabilities that they belong, their voices matter, and their experiences are valuable. My greatest success as a mentor is seeing those I have supported become leaders and mentors themselves.”

Author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally

“Mentoring is a two-way street of engaging across lived experiences to share stories and lessons that can spark personal growth and meaningful change.”

University of Missouri-Kansas City

“Mentoring means helping another person hear the authority of their own voice. It is not about shaping someone in our image, but about standing beside them as they recognize their strengths, claim their place, and imagine a future that belongs fully to them.”

Disability Justice Champion, WorkAbility III Coordinator, and Disability Cultural Center Coordinator at Sacramento City College

“Mentoring is an act of interdependence. I would not be where I am today without the disabled elders, colleagues, friends, and mentors who shared practical wisdom, opened doors, taught me disability pride, and stood beside me through life’s challenges. Mentorship is how we pass that knowledge forward. I believe in “lifting as we climb”—creating opportunities for others while continuing to learn ourselves. Some of my greatest lessons have come from my mentees. At its best, mentoring is not about one person leading another; it is about building community, belonging, and a future where disabled people recognize their value, power, and connection to one another.”

Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

“Effective mentoring is a two-way process. While mentees benefit from guidance and support, mentors also gain valuable insights and perspectives. Embracing this reciprocity is fundamental to a meaningful and successful mentoring journey.”

National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD)

“No one is an island in the stream. I have had opportunities and successes in my life because of wonderful people who shared their wisdom, connections, and opportunities with me. I feel like it is my duty to turn around and do the same for others to honor the time and generosity of my mentors. I have also learned that success is not a limited commodity. I feel like there are many people who rise by pushing others down to secure their spot on the top of the pyramid. I would rather bring people along with me, working as a team, learning from and helping one another to build a stronger structure from top to bottom- a force to be reckoned with.”

Communication is a human right.

“At CrimsonRise we created a place where we can be true to who we really are. We decide on our future. We are building it together with allies. We are true to our authentic autistic selves. Peers, allies, and communities learn from us. We show them what it is to live a neurodivergent life on our terms. We dare them to dream of something bigger and better for their lives.”

(DHACC)

“Mentoring means working alongside younger members of the community, sharing knowledge and experience, while allowing for space for their contributions, their leadership abilities, and passions to emerge. Mentoring is a process that is equal and allows new ideas and leadership to emerge over time. Through shared experience, a mentor will become a role model and continue to guide the mentee as they grow into their new career, aligned with their individual goals.”

Eskenazi Health

By partnering with students, their families and employers, the Gregory S. Fehribach Center at Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis promotes and equalizes the opportunity for independence, employment and civic engagement of college graduates with physical disabilities.