Prepare & Transition
Preparing Scholars with Disabilities for the World of Work
The Prepare phase is intended to develop employment-readiness skills, foster an entrepreneurial mindset, and build lifelong networks. The Prepare phase actually already starts when selecting a course and thinking about a possible career path.
In this phase it is extremely helpful to expose applicants to successful graduates or role models with a similar impairment, e.g. a lawyer with visual impairment or an entrepreneur who is deaf or is using a wheelchair.
Professional development opportunities
In the Prepare phase, Mastercard Foundation Scholars will further take part in professional development opportunities, including mentoring, career counselling, internships, and service projects.
It should be kept in mind that when engaging with partners like recruitment agencies, we should not assume that they have in-house experience on providing their services for Scholars with different types of impairments.
The training sessions should have some disability- specific content. For example, when and how to disclose one’s disability, and when and how to communicate about one’s reasonable accommodation needs.
Also, it should be kept in mind that training materials and the way sessions are organized might not be inclusive or accessible for Mastercard Foundation Scholars with disabilities. It is advised to bring in partners with expertise on disability inclusion.
Internships
Internships are another important strategy to support Mastercard Foundation Scholars to apply academic learning to real life experience, as well as build valuable networks. For Mastercard Foundation Scholars with disabilities, the internship period is even more important because it provides exposure to the world of work for the Scholar as well as for the potential employer.
For the Mastercard Foundation Scholar, it is an opportunity to practice professional behavior, such as being on time, delivering on tasks provided and even more important: being able to communicate specific needs and explain to others what kind of support or accommodations can be put in place to ensure proper performance.
For the host organisation, the internship will expose them to the abilities of graduates with disabilities, as well as the added value of having diversity in the workplace. They will also experience what it takes to create a disability friendly workplace.
For the University, the internship placements are an opportunity to build a network of possible employers for the graduates with disabilities. The more reason to ensure that the internship period is a positive experience for both the Mastercard Foundaion Scholar as well as the host organisation.
Below are some tips to prepare well for the internship period:
- Start well in advance and ensure that there is sufficient support for the Scholars with disabilities to find a host organisation
- Ensure that the host organisation is well aware of the impairment of the intern with disabilities, and receives some tips and advice on how to address some of the special needs the intern might have. For example, through a 1-to 2-hour disability awareness session
- It is helpful to have a session with the host organisation to carve a position/ role for the intern that is in line with his or her abilities and creates optimal learning opportunities
- Provide the intern with reasonable accommodation in line with his or her needs, like a personal assistant or a sign language interpreter for at least part of the internship period
- In case of a Scholar with a mobility impairment, ensure that the host organisation has conducted a rapid accessibility assessment to ensure that the workplace is accessible and that there is at least one accessible washroom. Also take into account that the intern might need additional support to be able to move from campus or home to the workplace.
It is further advised to organise a session with the different host organisations and the interns at the end of the internship period to evaluate the internship and harvest what went well, and what could have been done better to feed the preparations for the next batch of Scholars.
During this session it can also be explored whether some of the host organisations could possibly employ Mastercard Foundation Scholars upon graduation.
