On Sunday, November 7th, Edmund Asiedu ran the New York City Marathon to raise funds for the National Disability Mentoring Coalition (NDMC) to enhance opportunities and positively impact the lives of future disability advocates. Edmund serves on the board of advisors for the NDMC, a national initiative of Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD). Edmund’s fundraising campaign raised over $3400!
The 50th Annual New York City Marathon course winds throughout the five Boroughs of New York City. Edmund started the race at 8:22 AM EDT on a handcycle, in a select athletes with disabilities category. The course began at the Verrazzano Bridge in Staten Island and traveled through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and circled back into Manhattan to the finish line located in Central Park West. Edmund finished the 26.2 mile race with a time of 2:18:22.
Originally from Ghana, Edmund is no stranger to marathons or disability advocacy; 2021 was the sixth New York City Marathon in which Edmund has participated. His previous races included the 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, and 2011 NYC Marathons along with a handful of half marathons and other races over the last decade raising funds for a variety of organizations. On his fundraising campaign page for this year’s race, Edmund states, “I want to raise funds for the National Disability Mentoring Coalition because I have a responsibility to support in any way I can, as a person with disability and a member of the NDMC Board of Advisors who is passionate about mentoring… I believe that we can make huge differences in the lives of young people with disabilities if we work together.”
Edmund has first-hand experience of the positive impact NDMC member organizations can have on people with disabilities, having participated in the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) summer internship program. Of his experience, Edmund writes, “As an alumnus of AAPD Summer Internship, I’m a living proof of the result of the wonderful work that [they] and Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation have been doing to support socioeconomic advancement of young people with disabilities in the United States. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support I received from the internship.” You can find out more about AAPD’s summer internship program here.
When not training for and running races, Edmund works as a Policy Analyst for Accessibility in the NYC Department of Transportation.
He previously worked at Columbia University as the Assistant Director in the Career Services department where he was also the Coordinator for the Workforce Recruitment Program for Students with Disabilities and Accommodations. Edmund also previously served in positions at Berkeley College, the National Disability Rights Network, and the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled.
The National Disability Mentoring Coalition aims to raise awareness about the importance and impact of mentoring in the lives of people with disabilities and to increase the number and quality of disability mentoring programs around the country. NDMC is a membership organization, dedicated to providing organizations and individuals interested in mentoring as a disability inclusion strategy access to resources, networking opportunities, and professional development. NDMC’s core activities focus on awareness, connections, resources, inclusion, and recognition. You can read more about NDMC’s core activities here.
The NDMC has had an impressive year of growth and impact. NDMC grew from a membership of 64 in the previous fiscal year to an outstanding membership of 350 this year. Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD), which houses NDMC, hosted the 5th annual Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame, promoted a national fellowship program (and onboarded two fellows), and co-hosted (with MENTOR) a congressional briefing on Advancing Inclusive Mentoring, which garnered national support and attention.
We hope you can join us for the next NDMC Quarterly Network event, on Friday December 10, 2021 from 1-2 PM EST. Topics covered in the event will include information on the inaugural Disability Mentoring Certification program and initial results, as well as training and networking resources available to support your inclusive mentoring work. All interested individuals and organizations can register for the Zoom event here: NDMC Quarterly Networking Event 12/10/2021.
This blog post was written by Americorps Ambassador of Mentoring Athena Zeiter.