The first months and years of living with a new disability are a difficult and isolating time. Although I had access to doctors, nurses, and therapists who helped me learn how to manage the new medical challenges I would face with a spinal cord injury, I did not have a technology mentor who could help me learn how to actually live and thrive with my injury.
Having a technology mentor with a similar injury who had gone through things I was about to go through would have made an enormous difference in my life. The Tech Access Initiative Mentorship Program is a new offering that aims to match disabled mentors with newly injured people who could benefit from the experience of a mentor, especially when it comes to adaptive technologies and resources. To get started on your Tech Access mentorship or to become a Tech Access mentor, please fill out the Tech Access Initiative Membership form to get started.
While I was still rehabbing in the hospital, I had a great team of therapists and engineers who helped to set me up for success when I returned home and to school after being discharged. I was taught how to use a computer with adaptive technology and was given resources to help me function independently within my home. Once I was home, however, I did not have daily access to the team I had in the hospital. Although they were still able to help, there were times when having a mentor living with a spinal cord injury would have been beneficial.
The Right Mentor Could Make All the Difference
The ideal mentor will be different for everybody. In my case, since I was 16 when I was injured, I would have benefited from a mentor who was quadriplegic and may have recently finished college, since that was the big challenge that I would be facing soon. Utilizing adaptive technology is a vital aspect of living with a spinal cord injury, and knowing someone who had successfully used such equipment would have helped me manage my new injury.
Although technology is far more advanced now than when I was injured in 2001, it can still be challenging to find products that work efficiently while meeting the specific needs of someone with a disability. So much time and money can be wasted looking for the right adaptive technology to discover that it does not work as well as one would have hoped. I have boxes full of stuff that I thought would be life-changing that ended up useless. The mistakes I made while looking for adaptive technology could have been avoided with the help of a quality mentor.
In addition to promoting independence through adaptive technology, having a mentor has additional benefits. Having someone in your life who is a good example of what can be possible while living with a disability can be reassuring in times of uncertainty. No one knows what to expect when faced with a challenge like living with a spinal cord injury, but the best way to learn is to learn from someone who has experienced it firsthand. A mentor can open the door to a new community with opportunities that would have gone undiscovered otherwise.
Become or Find a TAI Mentor
The TAI Mentorship Program is an exciting opportunity for those looking for a mentor and those with lived experience who are looking to share their knowledge and help others. The TAI Mentorship Program will offer personalized support to those with new disabilities looking for support in navigating many new challenges. I encourage anybody interested in finding a mentor or to be a mentor to consider participating in the TAI Mentorship Program.
