How to Make Friends

Three Black and disabled folx (a non-binary person resting one hand on the wall and the other on her cane, a non-binary person sitting in a power wheelchair, and a femme leaning while standing) rest and chat outdoors on a sunny day.

On this page, you will find information and tools you can use to make and maintain friendships. This includes explainers for what friendship can look like, how to start conversations with new people, and much more!

Guides and Tips

How to Use Social Media to Keep Relationships Going

From ConnectAbility Canada.

Guide to Making Friendships with Supportive People

From Planning Network Canada.

Social Strategies for Building Adult Friendships

From Milestones Autism Resources.

From Mind Body Green Relationships.

Friendships, Relationships & Intimacy: Strategies for supporting people to create, build, and maintain personal connections with others

From the Council on Quality and Leadership.

Friends: Connecting People with Disabilities and Community Members

From the University of Minnesota RTC on Community Living.

Widening the Circle: Expanding Opportunities for Friendship

From the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMass Chan Medical School.

Friends: Connecting People with Disabilities and Community Members

From the University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration.

Conversations About Interpersonal Safety

From Wisconsin’s Violence Against Women with Disabilities and Deaf Women Project: A Collaboration of Disability Rights Wisconsin, End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin and Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

Staying Safe in Relationships

From Choice Support UK.

This project is funded by the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council.