“Sharing their stories, their challenges, successes, goals, dreams, and personal experiences, they collectively alchemize that magic something that lights a fire under hope, determination, and possibility; all while cultivating friendships and community.”

– Kyra Coates, writing for the Center for People With Disabilities in Boulder, Colorado

Almost everyone has been in a difficult situation and wondered, “Am I the only one who’s going through this?” It could be anything from diagnosing a strange ailment to deciding whether to end a close relationship. Whatever it is, you start to feel better about it as soon as you connect with others in the same situation who are happy to share their stories and provide encouragement and comfort. That’s the beauty of peer support. It’s especially helpful for young adults with developmental disabilities, who deal with more than the usual number of challenges every day.

Peer support is wonderfully flexible and adaptable. It can be structured, involving regular meetings with a peer facilitator, or spontaneous, when people discover they’re dealing with the same issue and offer each other information, advice, and companionship. It can occur online or offline. It can be tailored for people in a specific age group or those dealing with a specific condition. Or it can be open to individuals with any kind of physical, mental, or developmental disability. Peer support can confine itself to a small group or end up empowering people in a larger community and adding momentum to statewide, national, or global self-advocacy. And peer support is an essential part of the therapeutic programming at Great Prospects.

Benefits of Peer Support for People With Disabilities

In a course manual for building effective peer support programs in U.S. centers for independent living, the authors explain the importance of peer support for individuals with disabilities:

“Peer support can foster personal growth and provide relevant information that cannot be obtained in any other manner. Peer mentors often provide information about local support systems and the ‘ins and outs’ of dealing with them … Peer support can provide an avenue for dealing with personal and complex issues. Peer support is effective in reaching, teaching, and supporting people with a variety of disabilities. Peers can reach people that may be unwilling to engage with and trust professionals. …

“Peer support can help a person gain a sense of self-determination, rekindle ambition, and provide real-life solutions based on their experiences … Peer support provides a dynamic nurturing process in a non-competitive environment that promotes independence and self-actualization. …The community also benefits by increased inclusion and participation of people with all kinds of disabilities in recreational, political, vocational, social, educational, and faith-based activities.”

The team at Rights Upfront, a hub for disability empowerment in the United Kingdom, notes that peer support is vital to disability advocacy:

“Peer support involves individuals with shared experiences coming together to offer emotional support, practical advice, and encouragement. In the context of disability advocacy, peer support means that disabled people can connect with others who understand their challenges, needs, and strengths. This support is crucial for navigating complex systems like healthcare, employment, and education. While professionals may offer technical advice, peer support provides something unique: understanding and empathy from someone who has lived through similar experiences.”

Rights Upfront points out that individuals with special needs benefit from peer support in several ways:

Emotional Resilience – Having a peer who understands your struggles and triumphs can help reduce feelings of isolation and frustration and foster a sense of belonging.
Knowledge Sharing – Exchanging valuable information about navigating complex systems like disability benefits, healthcare, and legal rights provides an opportunity to learn from others' successes and challenges.
Empowerment Through Shared Experience – Sharing stories with others in similar situations is empowering. Knowing that your voice matters and your experiences are valuable encourages you to stand up for yourself and your peers.
Building Advocacy Networks – Peer support fosters a community of advocates who can work together to advocate for policy change, raise awareness, and more as a powerful collective force for good.

How Peer Support Developed

Peer support expresses one of the best parts of human nature. It has existed informally since the first time one person befriended another in an effort to overcome a shared challenge. It first emerged as a therapeutic concept in 1784 when Jean Baptiste Pussin, director of the psychiatric ward of a hospital near Paris, France, began hiring some of the hospital’s former patients to help meet the day-to-day needs of current ones. Pussin found that their lived experience made past patients “more gentle, honest, and humane.” They treated their hospitalized peers with kindness, empathy, and understanding in an era when individuals with mental disorders, thought to be possessed by demons, were chained and treated with harsh methods like bleeding and purging.

Pussin and his wife, Marguerite, teamed up with Philippe Pinel, chief physician at the same hospital, to break the chains and start treating patients with compassion and respect for their humanity. A pioneer of modern psychiatry, Pinel believed that mental disorders resulted from severe social and psychological stress and inherited traits. With help from the Pussins, he initiated therapy based on close, friendly contact with the patient, talking with them about their difficulties, and developing a program of purposeful activities for them.

The first peer support group outside a hospital setting was the Alleged Lunatics’ Friend Society, formed in London, England, in 1845. It was a time of “madhouses” and “insane asylums” to which people with mental disorders, real or imagined, could be confined for long periods, sometimes on the whim of a relative. Thomas Perceval, son of assassinated Prime Minister Spencer Perceval, was serving in the military when family members committed him to such a facility for associating with members of a religious sect they disapproved of. Journalist Richard Paternoster’s father banished him to an asylum simply for daring to argue with him.

After both were released, they and four other men formed the Society to fight the madness of the mental health system. They worked to improve the treatment of patients in asylums and hold those who ran them accountable. They also campaigned for patients’ access to legal representation to ensure that those in charge of the institutions did not deny them their human rights.

The seeds of all-inclusive peer support for people with various types of disabilities were sown in the early 1970s at the University of California, Berkeley. Ed Roberts, paralyzed from the neck down due to polio, was initially denied admission because officials said his iron lung wouldn’t fit in a dorm room. He convinced them to give him a chance and went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science and serve as director of the California Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Roberts is considered the father of the global Independent Living Movement, which advocates for people with disabilities to have the same opportunities, choices, and autonomy as others, based on the idea that they are experts on their own needs. The movement grew from the Physically Disabled Students Program he helped develop. It was run by and for Berkeley students with special needs who provided services that allowed them to live in the community. In 1972, Roberts and other members of the program founded the Center for Independent Living, which helped disabled people gain access to community life — empowering each other, sharing resources, and advocating effectively for their rights. Roberts later lobbied for disability rights around the world.

The team at the Center for People With Disabilities in Boulder, Colorado, notes, “As the Independent Living Movement grew, so did the recognition that peer support wasn’t just effective; it was essential for independent living. When Congress passed the 1984 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, formally recognizing and funding Centers for Independent Living (CILs), peer support was written directly into the law as one of the core services each center must provide.”

Peer Support at Great Prospects Helps Participants Thrive

An amazing synergy can occur when participants in Great Prospects programs learn together, create and play together, help each other, make friends, and share their positive energy with the wider community. Peer support plays a role in all these activities.

Michelle Jericevich, CEO of Great Prospects, shares some glimpses of peer support in daily interactions:

“One of our nonverbal participants is highly empathetic and can anticipate when another participant is in need of support and will help remediate the situation before it escalates.”

“Two participants who have very different backgrounds but get along well, to the point that one can help the other manage his emotions. She will ask him to take deep breaths when he starts to get upset.”

”Two of our participants have formed an unlikely friendship, as one is verbal and the other has limited verbal abilities. However, they communicate and make each other laugh daily.”

Peer-to-peer support also helps to keep participants safe and notify the proper people when they need help. Michelle says, “Participants practice checking on one another and alerting the proper staff. Once while on the bus, one of our participants notified staff when she saw her peer nodded over in her seat, indicating a seizure. Because of her quick action to alert us, we were able to administer care, and she felt great knowing she had helped her friend.”

Tabitha Todle, director of Great Prospects’ Therapeutic Day Program, talks about another form of peer support: Disability Days, which raise awareness about various disabilities and give participants a chance to celebrate their differences. “We focus on helping participants be confident and independent while at Great Prospects, then being able to practice that in real world settings,” Tabitha said.

She’s also a big fan of taking participants on daily outings in the community. “I believe these are just as important for the community to see our crew out as it is for the development of our participants,” she said, adding, “When members of the community see our group and how they are emulating independence and self-advocacy, they are more inclined to disregard the harmful stereotypes.”

A unique form of peer support became available to 6 Great Prospects participants when Victoria Inman included them in her book, “Sparking Acceptance,” which showcases 54 exceptional people, focusing on their personalities, interests, and abilities rather than their disabilities.

When you read the book, you find out that:

Gavin loves music, swimming, hiking, and pepperoni pizza. He cherishes time with his friends and his mom, dad, and four siblings.

“Happy Haley” has a black belt in karate, rides her horse, Maverick, every week, and has participated in Special Olympics equestrian events.

Indya has an upbeat personality and always looks forward to socializing with her friends. She loves music, stickers, traveling, dancing, and her dog, Charlie.

Jimmy is so enthusiastic about technology that he often engages with multiple devices at once. A whiz on a bike, he’ll average 11.5 mph on a 20-mile ride.

TJ loves the computer, numbers, Dr. Phil’s talk show, and President Obama’s speeches. He works at a bowling alley, greeting guests with a smile.

Budding writer Marc has a lot to say: “Perseverance is so vital for a person with autism. We have been faced with so many obstacles in our lives.” He suggests helpful ways to act around people with autism: “First of all, do not feel they are not listening. They are, but it may not appear that they are. Do not talk about them in front of them. … Try and include them. They want to feel welcomed. Behave like you would with someone else. …You should help [people with autism] want to participate by politely encouraging them. … I am enjoying being a participant at Great Prospects, hanging around people like me. I have made friends there, and the staff is very kind.”

At Great Prospects, professional expertise pairs with peer support to create meaningful experiences for people with special needs who are making the transition from high school to full adulthood. We welcome highly mobile, continent young adults with disabilities (21-40) who do not exhibit violent behaviors. We also have a couple of programs that include high schoolers 16 and up. We’re dedicated to empowering special people to become their best and happiest selves. To find out more, please visit our website or call us at (770) 314-4243.

The Power of Peer Support: Building Friendships and Connections Among Young Adults With Disabilities