Abstract
Approximately 14% of Canadians have a physical disability. These individuals typically report lower levels of "participation", which refers to the engagement in daily (e.g., self-care, mobility) and social (e.g., sport/exercise, hobbies) activities. With the goal of enhancing participation, peer mentorship programs for individuals with physical disabilities have been implemented across Canada. Peer mentors are individuals who, through their experiences living with a disability, can provide empathetic understanding, practical advice, and emotional support to peers with a physical disability. The purpose of this symposium is to present four approaches to understanding peer mentorship among adults with physical disabilities. First, Dr. Best will discuss the impact of a peer-led wheelchair program on wheelchair users' self-efficacy, their wheelchair skills and its impact on broader outcomes. Second, Dr. Gainforth will present her research program that focuses on understanding the specific methods/tools spinal cord injury (SCI) peer mentors use to enhance participation. Third, Dr. Sweet will discuss findings from qualitative and quantitative research that investigated SCI peer mentorship through the lens of self-determination theory. Fourth, Dr. Caron will take a different look at SCI peer mentorship by presenting the perspectives of peer mentors regarding their roles and perceived impact. To conclude the symposium, Haley Flaro of Ability New Brunswick, a community organization that represents individuals with disabilities, will provide her community perspective on these projects. She will discuss the gaps that need to be addressed to inform community organizations' efforts to enhance the lives of people with disabilities through peer mentorship.Acknowledgments: The projects and members of the sumposium were funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Fonds de Recherche du Québec Santé and the Craig H. Neilsen foundation