National Conference on Technology, Innovation & Disability Employment
September 16–18, 2026 • Evanston, IL
Hosted by Research and Innovation for Social and Economic Inclusion (RISEI) Lab at Northwestern University
The National Conference on Technology, Innovation & Disability Employment brings together leaders across sectors to advance inclusive employment through evidence-based practice, emerging technologies, disability-led insights, and cross-agency systems change.
Call for Proposals
Opens: January 15, 2026
Closes: March 1, 2026
Conference Dates
Sept 16: Pre-conference workshops
Sept 17–18: Main conference sessions
Location
Evanston, Illinois
Northwestern University Campus
Call for Proposals
National Conference on Technology, Innovation & Disability Employment
September 16–18, 2026 • Evanston, IL
Hosted by Research and Innovation for Social and Economic Inclusion (RISEI) Lab at Northwestern University
The National Conference on Technology, Innovation & Disability Employment welcomes proposals that highlight innovative models, applied research, cutting-edge technologies, disability-led perspectives, and cross-agency strategies that strengthen employment outcomes for people with disabilities. We invite submissions for panels, workshops, demonstrations, labs, and interactive sessions across all six conference tracks.
Opens
January 15, 2026
Deadline
March 1, 2026
Conference Tracks
Five integrated tracks combining innovation, evidence, policy, lived experience, and education to advance disability employment outcomes
Innovation, Evidence & Impact in Disability Employment
This track highlights practices, programs, and models that are demonstrating real impact—within and beyond VR.
Examples of fit:
- Results and lessons from demonstration projects (including RSA DIF and others)
- VR, education, or workforce programs that improved employment or transition outcomes
- Evidence-based strategies and implementation case studies
- Use of data, evaluation, and continuous improvement
- Cross-agency research partnerships and practitioner-led inquiry
Who this appeals to:
VR professionals, program designers, researchers, evaluators, funders, state leaders, and anyone interested in learning what works and why.
Technology, AI & the Future of Work
This track explores how emerging technologies are changing work, learning, and services—and how people with disabilities can lead and benefit.
Examples of fit:
- AI tools used in counseling, job search, training, or workplace accommodations
- Assistive technology and accessibility innovations
- Robotics, automation, and implications for disability employment
- Digital inclusion strategies (broadband, access, platforms)
- Teaching AI, digital, and data skills accessibly
- Lived-experience perspectives on using tech for employment
Who this appeals to:
VR staff and leaders, tech developers, AT professionals, researchers, employers, and people with disabilities experimenting with or impacted by new technology.
Policy, Systems & Cross-Agency Solutions
This track focuses on structural change—policies, partnerships, and system redesign that support long-term improvements in employment outcomes.
Examples of fit:
- State or local policy shifts supporting competitive integrated employment
- VR–education–workforce–Medicaid/DD cross-agency collaborations
- How teams built MOUs, braided funding, or sustained pilot projects
- Interagency data-sharing and decision-making
- Innovations that align policy, program design, and frontline practice
Who this appeals to:
Policymakers, VR leadership, systems-change practitioners, educators, workforce boards, researchers, and cross-agency teams.
Lived Experience, Self-Advocacy & Co-Design
This track centers people with disabilities as experts, co-creators, and leaders in building inclusive employment systems.
Examples of fit:
- Youth and young adults sharing transition and employment journeys
- Adults with disabilities discussing barriers, strategies, and successes
- Sessions co-led by people with disabilities and VR counselors/employers
- Peer support and self-advocacy models
- Co-design approaches where people with disabilities shape programs, research, or technology
Who this appeals to:
People with disabilities, peer leaders, VR counselors, educators, researchers, employers, and tech teams committed to co-created solutions.
Inclusive Education, Skills & Pathways to Good Jobs
This track focuses on the education-to-work pipeline—how schools, colleges, training programs, and employers work together to build pathways that work for people with disabilities.
Examples of fit:
- Inclusive K–12 or higher education practices linked to employment outcomes
- Internships, apprenticeships, work-based learning, and employer partnerships
- Sector-based career pathways and transition models
- Accessible approaches to teaching digital, technical, or AI skills
- Family and community engagement in transition and workforce planning
Who this appeals to:
Educators, transition specialists, VR staff, colleges/universities, workforce providers, employers, families, and youth.
Open Category: Community Innovations & Big Ideas for the Future
This category invites bold, creative, community-driven and future-looking proposals outside traditional frameworks.
Examples of fit:
- Community-led disability initiatives and grassroots models
- Global or cross-country perspectives on disability, tech, and employment
- Mental health, wellness, and holistic supports tied to workforce participation
- Emerging theories, frameworks, or visionary ideas for the next decade
- Intersections with housing, transportation, digital access, or civic inclusion
Who this appeals to:
Anyone contributing imagination, leadership, or innovative practice toward a more inclusive future.
Featured Sessions
Selected sessions organized by track
Technology, AI & the Future of Work
AI & Assistive Tech in VR
September 16 • Workshop
Hands-on introduction to AI tools that support job matching and workplace accommodations.
Building Your First Agentic AI Assistant
September 17 • Hands-On Lab
Creating "AI agents" that automate tasks like case notes, job leads extraction, labor market summaries, and accessibility checks.
AI Accessibility Lab
September 17 • Interactive Lab
Testing real tools—from screen reader–optimized AI to adaptive interfaces and voice-driven models.
Innovation, Evidence & Impact
DIF Innovation Showcase
September 16 • Showcase
Early outcomes, implementation lessons, and replication strategies from Disability Innovation Fund projects.
Partner-to-Partnership (P2P) Evaluation
September 17 • Research Session
Findings on cross-agency collaboration and what accelerates or stalls systems change.
Subminimum Wage & Minimum Wage Reform
September 17 • Research Session
Updates from national study with practical implications for VR and employers.
Policy, Systems & Cross-Agency Solutions
Policy Labs: Cross-Agency MOUs
September 17 • Interactive Lab
Interactive lab to draft and refine MOUs and partnership frameworks for system change.
VR Modernization & Federal Guidance
September 16 • Panel
How technology, AI, and performance accountability are shaping VR policy.
AI Governance in Public Systems
September 16 • Panel
What state agencies need to know about privacy, security, accountability, and procurement.
Conference Committee
Leaders shaping the future of disability employment through innovation and collaboration
Hosted by RISEI Lab at Northwestern University
Research and Innovation for Social and Economic Inclusion (RISEI) Lab
Northwestern University
The RISEI Lab leads federal research projects on disability employment, vocational rehabilitation innovation, and the impacts of automation, broadband, artificial intelligence, and technology on opportunity for people with disabilities.
Learn More About RISEI