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Training and mentoring

The provision of training and mentoring can build knowledge and skills for various audiences.

Mentoring involves offering a relationship in which a more experienced and knowledgeable person (the mentor) can provide guidance and support to a less experienced person (the mentee) to help them grow and develop skills. It is generally aimed at long term growth. See the Resources section for more information.

Training and mentoring can help people with disabilities feel more confident and have greater feelings of self-worth in their role, contributing to personal empowerment. All of this can help reduce internalised stigma.

Training can also be provided to the health, education, governmental and business sector, to reduce social stigma and address more structural organisational issues. Training caregivers and family members can also address stigma by association.

Always address stigma as an explicit component of training courses. Don’t assume it is covered by generic training on disability inclusion. If training is delivered, or co-delivered, by people with disabilities, it is likely to have greater impact.

This approach can help to reduce:

Social stigma.   Internalised stigma.

Stigma by association   Structural stigma.

About the four types of stigma

Why provide long-term mentoring?

It tackles ongoing stigma

Too often, one-off training is provided in projects or programmes. Yet people with disabilities can face ongoing stigma, as well as have more continuous learning needs.

It provides support

The impact of a lifetime of stigma is unlikely to change with a short training course. Explore opportunities for ongoing mentoring and/or post-training support over a longer period.

It builds resilience

Long-term mentoring can create a more sustainable framework for building skills and strengthening individual resilience, which can help to address stigma.

Case study 1
Economic empowerment mentorship, Zimbabwe

Sightsavers’ economic empowerment programme in Zimbabwe is supporting people with disabilities to get into work or start their own business.

In this video we learn about the programme and meet Michelle, who has started her own make-up business, as she reflects on the stigma and stereotyping she has faced. The provision of mentoring is a key element of the approach.

With the mentorship, it’s always nice to be led by someone who has done it.
Michelle, small business owner, Zimbabwe

Case study 2
Kenya InBusiness Livelihoods project

The Kenya InBusiness project includes a one-day compulsory training course in self-advocacy, which covers:

  • Personal experiences
  • Disability rights
  • Confidence-building

It was identified that strengthening the stigma component of the training would be valuable, and extending the training over the project lifetime.

Two women in Kenya looking at a piece of paper and having a discussion. They're wearing blue hairnets.

Joy (left) and Nancy took part in self-advocacy training to build their confidence.

Society portrays people with disability as people who cannot do business. Training helps them realise how to advocate for themselves.
Partner staff, Kenya,
Inclusive Futures learning review
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