A voice in the chorus: perspectives of young men of color on their disabilities, identities, and peer‐mentors

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Abstract
With the rise of violence during the 1990s, the number of persons who acquired a spinal cord injury as a result of gunshot trauma increased dramatically in the United States. This qualitative study examined disability, race, and contribution of peer‐mentors to the development of identity. Six men with a violence‐related spinal cord injury participated in a focus group. They were injured for at least two years, making positive gains in their lives, and training to become peer‐mentors at a rehabilitation hospital. In addition, 16 men with a newly‐acquired spinal cord injury from gunshot trauma participated in an individual interview. These sixteen participants were all mentees (or recipients) of the peer‐mentor program. Principles of grounded theory were used to code and analyze data. Data converged on three main themes: (1) disability viewed as a wake‐up call or blessing, (2) disability viewed as a turning point, and (3) disability viewed as identity transforming.

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