Next Week: Disability E/BRG Leadership Within the Current Landscape

On Wednesday, June 3rd from 11:00am -12:00pm Central, Disability:IN Chicagoland partners with inQUEST Consulting, for a virtual workshop on Disability Employee/Business Resources Group Leadership Within the Current Landscape. Throughout the last year, disability inclusion leaders have been met with additional challenges to workplace inclusion and E/BRG engagement. This has created questions on how to successfully balance building inclusive corporate culture while also complying with current corporate priorities. Local E/BRG leaders and members are invited to bring questions and challenges to a cohort of their peers for problem solving during this hour long conversation. Pari Karim, Senior Partner at inQUEST Consulting, will guide the conversation in this highly interactive workshop. Register now. Chicagoland partners can register for free by emailing Laura Wilhelm at laura@disabilityinchicagoland.org for a promo code.

Save the Date: Accommodations in 2026 - Celebrating the ADA

In celebration of the 36^th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Disability:IN Chicagoland, and its affiliate partners in Washington DC, Minnesota, North Carolina and Wisconsin will host a virtual discussion on Tuesday, July 14th at 11:00 Central sharing practical insights on workplace accommodations. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) and the Great Lakes ADA Center will participate in a panel discussion to offer practical guidance on accommodation strategies and the interactive process while highlighting available resources. They will also discuss accessibility considerations along with opportunities and potential pitfalls to be aware of when creating workplace accommodations systems. Registration coming soon!

Recap - Access at Work: Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day

In recognition of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) , Access Living partnered with Disability:IN Chicagoland on Wednesday, May 21st for a discussion on Access at Work: Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day. The session, led by Ashley Eisenmenger, Communications Director, and Karen Tamley, CEO, at Access Living, offered several takeaways including:

• Organizations must lead from the top;
• Ensure both internal and external communications are accessible;
• Conduct digital audits and communicate available resources; and
• Engage those who are impacted to build an accessible and authentic workplace.

A special thank you to the Access Living team for hosting such an impactful discussion.

Register Now: Disability:IN 2026 Global Conference & Expo

Registration for Disability:IN's Annual Conference is open now. The conference is scheduled for July 27-30, in Dallas, TX and will bring together more than 3,000 in-person attendees for 30+ sessions on topics like: accessibility; E/BRGs; inclusive marketing and communications; supplier inclusion; and ESG investing. Participants will connect with corporate inclusion leaders, Disability Owned Business Enterprises (DOBEs), affiliates, and NextGen Leaders. If you plan to attend, please reach out to Laura Wilhelm - laura@disabilityinchicagoland.org - for details on a conference dinner for Chicago partners.

Upcoming Events:

• Disability:IN North Carolina hosts Understanding Neurodivergence: How to Unlock High Performance on June 10th at 2:30 Central, details and registration available online here.

• Disability:IN Chicagoland hosts Disability E/BRG Leadership Within the Current Landscape on June 3rd at 11:00 Central. Register online here.

• Disability:IN hosts Disability Index Office Hours on June 18th at 7:00 Central. Register online here.

• Save the Date: Disability:IN Chicagoland hosts a webinar recognition of the 36th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 14th at 11:00 Central. Registration available soon.

• Great Lakes ADA Center hosts US Digital Accessibility: Laws, Resources and Real World Insights on July 14th at 12:00 Central. Register online here.

Disability:IN Chicagoland Partners