About

Our Mission 
IMPACTability fights for equal access to employment opportunities for college students with disabilities. We empower students to break through workforce barriers and open doors with our career readiness and mentoring programs.

​Our Values

Champion Diversity, Equity and Inclusion          
We recognize the value that college students with disabilities add to the diversity of the workplace. We strive to identify and eliminate barriers that prevent full participation by creating inclusive learning environments where college students with disabilities feel respected, supported, valued, and able to fully participate in their education and career preparation.

Empower Our Students to Self-Advocate
We encourage college students with disabilities to become self-advocates who know their strengths, advocate for themselves, decide what they want to do now and in the future, and take charge of their career goals.
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Foster Professional Growth Opportunities
We provide mentoring partnerships and career readiness training that enables college students with disabilities to refine their resumes, project a professional image, gain interview experience, and attain jobs and internships.

​​Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Statement

Diversity 
Diversity means representing people’s diverse identities and differences (national origin, language, race, disability, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, veteran status, and family structure) while respecting differences. Diversity brings in new ideas and lived experiences which ensures that multiple perspectives are represented and valued.

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IMPACTability pursues our mission at the City University of New York (CUNY) because of its diversity:

• ​CUNY students range generationally in age from 18-50+.
• Over 10,000 students with disabilities attend CUNY.
• CUNY Enrollment is 30.2% Hispanic, 25.2% Black, 23.1% White, 21.2% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 0.3% American Indian/Alaskan Native.
• 35 percent of CUNY students were born outside of the US mainland.
• Over 50 percent of CUNY students report an annual household income of less than $30,000.
  

IMPACTability integrates Diversity into our CareerReady! program in two ways. First, we bring students from multiple generations, identities, and campuses into one united cohort. Structured mentoring connects students with experienced professionals as mentors. This results in impactful cross-generational mentorship. All generations bring their lived experiences  and lessons learned through successes, failures, and real-world realities. Second, we bridge disability communities by supporting students with visible and invisible disabilities.

​Equity
Equity means identifying and eliminating barriers that prevent underserved groups, such as college students with disabilities, from achieving their full potential and goals. Equity ensures that everyone has what they need to be successful. We strive to promote fairness in everything we do.

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A top barrier that college students with disabilities face when transitioning into the workforce is the lack of employment opportunities. Research shows a higher unemployment rate compared to nondisabled peers. Although 60% of undergraduate students obtain a job after graduation, only 25% of undergraduate students with disabilities obtain a job after graduating from a 4-year institution. This is often due to a lack of student confidence, soft-skills, mentorship, and work experience; employer perceptions of students with disabilities; and limited understanding of reasonable accommodation resources.

IMPACTability incorporates Equity.  Our online courses highlight disability hiring programs and internship resources. A Human Resources survey found that internships made it six times more likely that a person with a disability is hired. We build partnerships with federal and corporate disability professionals to promote internships for our students. Second, after learning about the budget constraints that students face when it comes to professional attire, we partnered with www.bottomlesscloset.org which provides complimentary outfits, accessories, and training.

​Inclusion
Inclusion is the degree to which diverse individuals fully participate and have a sense of belonging. We create inclusive learning environments where college students with disabilities feel respected, supported, valued, and able to fully engage in their education and career preparation. We ensure a culture of belonging by recognizing the talents and skills of all people. We build relationships and trust with college students with disabilities.

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CareerReady! reduces isolation and increases social connections. College students with disabilities often do not fully participate in college life.  Many never considered joining clubs or attending career fairs, which are leadership and networking opportunities. During our program, self-confidence grows as students engage in activities that peers without disabilities routinely experience.

Inclusion is showcased in three ways. First, our Disability Advocacy Know Your Rights! session focuses on the ADA, disclosure at interviews and crafting an accommodations script. After our CareerReady! program, students are invited to volunteer on our Advisory Council’s Next Gen Disability Advocacy Committee, which offers a seat at the table, networking opportunities, and the chance to recommend creative programming ideas. Third,  IMPACTability is excited to sponsor College Students with Disabilities Advocacy Month each October to recognize student and community advocates.

​Accessibility
Accessibility means designing and delivering programs and services so that all people, including people with disabilities, can fully and independently use them. We believe in equal access to information and resources.

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IMPACTability made the innovative decision to pivot to myQuest, a Learning Management System (LMS). As a volunteer-led nonprofit, an LMS is a valuable collaboration tool for our education committee, students, mentors, and
college staff. Measuring accountability and engagement are key, as we are not located on campus. Our LMS keeps students on track, enhances the Zoom experience, and allows them to work at their own pace. Accessible LMS features include exchanging peer feedback and successes through community posts; tapping into a central resource library; submitting deliverables through a convenient portal; and accessing dynamic materials during and after the program.

​​Advocacy
IMPACTability’s volunteers mentor and empower college students with disabilities to become self-advocates who know their strengths, advocate for themselves, decide what they want to do now and in the future, and take charge of their career goals.

Our Inclusion Promise
At IMPACTability, we welcome people of all abilities, identities, generations, and cultural backgrounds. We are a diverse and inclusive community of committed disability advocates. We see you! We care about you! We value you!​