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Encouraging and Recruiting Youth with Disabilities
Parents, educators and people who work with youth are in the most direct positions to give youth with disabilities the information and encouragement that they need to pursue international opportunities. Learn more about how to outreach to young people with disabilities by collaborating with international exchange staff.
Starting Early: Youth Exchange Programs
International exchange experiences are extremely valuable for cultivating educational interests. Many benefits are gained from participating in an international exchange experience, such as:
- A more open and accepting attitude toward cultural and diversity issues;
- An increased investment in developing second language skills;
- An increased interest in active community involvement;
- The development of leadership skills; an increase in self-confidence;
- An increase in independent-thinking skills; and
- A greater understanding of oneself and other cultures.
For youth with disabilities to learn about these benefits, information about international exchange programs need to reach them.
I received much attention because of my disability that year, both home and down under, and always had an underlying hope that future potential exchangees would hear of my successful year and apply to go somewhere themselves. I think it's great that [the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange] is providing information for those who are ready to be bit by the travel bug."
Denise DiNoto, current Coordinator of a New York Disability and Health Program
Youth with disabilities, early in their academic careers, need to learn about possibilities for study abroad and international careers, and to develop self-concepts as participatory global citizens. Physical and attitudinal barriers do exist all over the world, sometimes making international travel to study or volunteer a challenging but growth experience for youth with disabilities. It is vital to individual development that people with disabilities have the right to choose adventure and reasonable risk and work with others to make the best conditions when abroad. By opening these opportunities youth with disabilities can reap the many benefits that can be obtained in the cross-cultural process.
Parents, educators and people who work with youth are in the most direct positions to give youth with disabilities the information and encouragement that they need to pursue international opportunities. These same families and professionals can assist exchange organizations in finding homestay families or understanding disability resources in communities where youth with disabilities from other countries are placed. Youth exchange organizations are often also recruiting U.S. students to consider going on their programs to other countries. To find an exchange program that places or recruits high school students in your area:
- Look in your local paper for advertisements by these organizations and contact them directly to express your interest.
- Ask local schools in your area if they will be accepting any international students in the coming year, and express that you'd like to be put in touch with the program coordinators they work with because of your interest in hosting a participant or gathering information for a teen that would like to go abroad.
- Begin contacting some of the headquarters of the high school exchange programs and ask that you be put on their homestay contact list or recruitment presentation schedule. These organizations are listed at www.csiet.org in the online advisory guide or in the NCDE database. Some of the largest programs include: AFS, ASPECT, ASSE, AYUSA, ERDT SHARE, Nacel Open Door, PAX and Youth for Understanding.
NCDE's Starting Early Initiative is a model for reaching out to youth with disabilities
Many exchange organizations seeking to increase their diversity ask staff at the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) "Where can we find youth with disabilities?" Or disability organizations inquire, "We want to encourage youth that we serve to take advantage of international opportunities. What works best?" As part of the Starting Early initiative, NCDE began an innovative outreach program to summer camps that serve youth with disabilities. The goals, activities and results of this pilot program are shared here so that readers in the exchange and disability fields might be able to replicate the project.
The goals of NCDE's Starting Early initiative are as follows:
- To widely publicize the broad array of international educational exchange opportunities to youth with disabilities, their parents and to professionals who work with disabled youth.
- To create a fun and informative presentation to be given at camps serving youth with disabilities. Through this presentation, campers and staff learn about international opportunities, hear the personal experiences of presenters with disabilities and participate in thought provoking cross-cultural activities.
NCDE's Starting Early activities were designed to encourage young people with disabilities to think internationally and to foster excitement and confidence in pursuing exchange opportunities.
What NCDE Did
As a pilot project, NCDE or disability staff, accompanied by disabled exchange alumni and/or NCDE trainers, conducted workshops with youth with disabilities and staff at summer camps. The project team was diverse in international experience and in disability type.
Presenters shared their personal experiences studying, volunteering and staying with host families abroad. They talked of how important these experiences have been in their lives and about practical disability-related accommodations. They also gave numerous examples of other types of programs. Participants watched and discussed NCDE's informational video, All Abroad! and played a cross-cultural simulation game.
The cross-cultural game was adapted from a well-known activity called Bafa Bafa (distributed through Intercultural Press – www.interculturalpress.com). In this activity, participants are able to experience some of the excitement and challenge of spending time in another culture. The audience is divided into two groups. Each group is assigned a unique culture with certain behaviors, values and ways of interacting. As is turns out, the cultures are quite opposite. Small delegations from each culture are sent to visit the other culture. They have tasks to complete that require interacting with each other. After experiencing these simulated cross-cultural exchanges several times, the group comes back together for discussion. Each time, this activity generated thoughtful and lively discussion.
The game was easily adapted so that participants with differing disabilities were able to participate fully. For example, when Deaf youth are present in the group, spoken words can be replaced by gestures or actions. Jumping up and flapping one's arms became "yes." Touching one's knees and looking down became "no." Alternatively, when youth with visual impairments were involved, visual cues were changed to tactile or auditory cues. In the past, presenters have found that disabled youth themselves and youth workers are very creative at making workable adaptations.
Following the camp workshops, NCDE sent a letter and brochure to the parents of campers explaining the purpose and content of the workshop and the benefits of international experience. The letter detailed the services of NCDE and encouraged parents to talk with their sons and daughters about their international interests. Staff also included a story about a young woman with a disability who had studied abroad written from her parents' perspective.
What Exchange Organizations Can Do
Here are some tips to consider in planning recruitment/outreach for programs:
- Be sure to include camps and organizations that serve youth with disabilities. Camps serving youth with disabilities can be located on most major summer camp websites.
- Search NCDE's online database of disability organizations worldwide for contacts in countries where you have programs or in the US. These organizations can be great places through which to do outreach and to learn about disability resources. Outreach in the United States can include contacting the state chapters of:
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
National Center on Secondary Education and Transition
The Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers
National Youth Leadership Network
Information on U.S. Disability-Specific Organizations
- Organizations can send brochures or press releases about their international programs to camps and youth organizations.
- For those interested in doing presentations at camps for youth with disabilities this summer, contact NCDE for possible presenters, videos, information sheets, success stories and other resources.
- Advertise your youth exchange programs on youth with disabilities websites such as:
American Diabetes Association Youth Zone
Disability Central and Active Teen
Exceptional Parent (Children's Page)
National Youth Leadership Network
Novita Teens (Australia)
Social Security Youth with Disabilities Page
Y Connection (Australia)
You can make a difference in encouraging youth with disabilities to think internationally!
What Disability Organizations Can Do
Disability organizations can play a crucial role in encouraging disabled youth to consider international opportunities. Here are some ideas:
- Contact NCDE for information about the benefits of international exchange and the various types of opportunities available to youth.
- Invite exchange organizations to present at or send materials to a meeting, camp or event hosted by your organization.
- Show All Abroad!, a video showcasing the major benefits of international exchange and the wide range of opportunities available. It answers frequently asked questions about funding, accommodations abroad, and how to be involved hosting international exchange participants from other countries.
- Encourage disabled young people to attend international camps in the US.
- Learn about exchange organizations that organize homestays for international visitors/students in your area. Encourage families with disabled youth to become hosts. See Encouraging Youth with Disabilities.
- Explore NCDE's online searchable database to learn about these opportunities and exchange programs to share with youth.
Be a part of opening new worlds to youth with disabilities!
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