Apply to the Institute

Disability is a natural part of the human experience and can be  visible, invisible, or acquired. Disability Lead uses the broad definition of disability as laid out in the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is a person who identifies as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. For example, some, but not all, Fellows accepted into this program self-identify as: blind, Deaf, low vision, Autistic, Deafblind, hard of hearing, having a physical or mobility, mental health or learning disability.

Some of our Fellows are just starting out while others are recognized leaders seeking to understand our disability identities and diverse perspectives. Experience may include both professional and/or community-based volunteer leadership experiences such as founding or leading an organization, serving on a board or committee, or other ways of demonstrating leadership and initiative.

Fellows are passionate about growing as leaders and becoming part of Chicago’s civic landscape. Energetic, aspiring leaders with disabilities who are passionate about making change in their communities. Our Fellows range from community activists and artists to entrepreneurs and corporate employees in the Chicago region. The Chicago region includes the following seven counties: Cook, Lake, DuPage, McHenry, Will, Kendall, and Kane.

More than 10% of Chicagoans have a disability, yet only 1% of nonprofit board seats in the region are filled by individuals with disabilities. A critical voice is missing—your voice. Public and private boards and commissions in the Chicago region need more leaders with disabilities—leaders like you.

The Institute is an immersive year-long learning experience that prepares Fellows to collaborate, influence, and lead. While there are many definitions and attributes of leadership, our program is guided by the following framework:

Vision, Passion And Collective Action

We seek leaders who articulate and excite people to act around a shared vision of a more just and equitable future; and have the resilience to engage in the lengthy and complex process of realizing their vision.

Self And Social Awareness

Effective leaders recognize that making a difference rests on awareness of who you are, how you engage with others, and how social systems impact personal and collective experience. They facilitate trust and partnership by listening attentively, communicating clearly, and following through.

Disability Leadership

Our program encourages leaders to embrace disability identity as part of a larger community, inclusive of intersectional connections, to effect change with power and influence.

No. At Disability Lead, we strongly believe leadership takes place in all facets of our lives - not just in the workplace - and recognize the value of leadership investment in advancing a career. While we encourage employer sponsorship, this is not a requirement. Current and past Fellows have joined the Institute in all stages of their professional development. We do not want to present any barrier to participation, especially during these unprecedented times. Financial assistance will be determined following acceptance into the program and is not considered as part of the acceptance criteria.

While there is not strict age requirement to join the Institute, our programming is targeted at people with prior leadership and civic experience, and applicants are suggested to have at least five or more years of experience. However, if you feel like the Institute would be a good fit for you, we would still encourage to apply, as exceptions can be made. If you are not eligible now, please consider reapplying after gaining some more leadership experience.

Together, Fellows learn about both disability rights and leadership to become more prepared for civic and professional leadership roles. Our Fellows advance with a sense of empowerment that comes from gaining leadership skills and a network of influential leaders.

Tell us your story. We know that everyone is in a different place in their leadership journey. Appropriate answers include specific examples that help illustrate how participating in this program at this time will help your identified goals.

Nominators help us get to know you better. A “Nominator” should be someone familiar with your talent, experience, and passion for civic engagement, and who can speak to your strengths. Nominators may be supervisors, managers, or a leader of a volunteer position to which you devote a significant degree of your time and talent. We know family may be our biggest fans, however strong applications include Nominators who are not family relatives. Additionally, you may not serve as your own Nominator.

Disability Lead requires two Nominators to apply. We require at least one Nominator be from a professional context. Once you submit your Nominator information in the application, your nominators will be notified via email with a link to the Nominator form along with the date of your chosen deadline. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that your Nominators receive their forms and are aware of your deadline. Disability Lead will not follow up with Nominators unless specifically asked to address a technical issue.

You will receive an email confirmation once you submit your application, as well as when your Nominators submit their nomination forms. After all three pieces of your application are in (your application, plus the two nominator forms), Disability Lead staff will reach out regarding next steps. 

You can save and return to your application by accessing your unique link that is emailed directly to you upon saving your application. You are encouraged to save work in a separate document in case you experience technical difficulties. You can either opt to have a link sent to you or create an account with our application system (Jotform), or sign up with your Google or Facebook account.

Disability Lead seeks to collect a variety of demographic information about our applicants. Your response will not influence a decision regarding acceptance and will only be used to help measure our success in attracting a diverse applicant pool. Please note that you are only required to indicate your self-identified disability, all other information is voluntary.

While we annually review and revise this section based on user feedback with the intention of including diverse response options, we would like to acknowledge that this system is imperfect. We recognize the limitations of the response options provided and value the opportunity for all applicants to self-identify. We encourage the utilization of the “Other” response option as a way to self-identify beyond the categories provided.

This resource further explains the various demographic options. We encourage applicants to educate themselves on the variety of ways that individuals self-identify to promote learning and inclusive interactions.

If you have any feedback, we welcome you to reach out to Risa Jaz Rifkind.

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Disability Lead is committed to a high standard of accessibility and creating a fully accessible experience. Accommodations are your right as a person with a disability. In an employment setting, “reasonable accommodations are adjustments or modifications that enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job efficiently and productively.” For examples of reasonable accommodations, please see Ask EARN.

For Disability Lead, reasonable accommodations pertain to all of our activities and programs including the Institute and application process. To date and as an example, Disability Lead has provided the following accommodations on request: communication access real-time translation (CART) (on-site and remote), American Sign Language (ASL) translation, Cued Speech transliteration, screen reader tagging of PDF/Word documents for JAWS, wheelchair accessible venues with accessible bathrooms and entry points, adjusted/added break time, preferential seating, and scent-free environments. Participants have also brought their personal assistants, service dogs, and support personnel as needed for a participant to participate fully. We also ask for dietary preferences for all meals provided throughout the program. For additional examples of accommodations, please see Ask JAN.

Accommodations, program activities, and requirements are discussed as one on one conversations upon acceptance into the program or prior to interviews as needed.

Congrats! The interview portion of the application process is for our selection team to get to know you better as an applicant. We want to hear from you about how the Institute will help prepare you to achieve your leadership goals. Once your interview is scheduled, you will receive an email from our staff with interviewer names and titles and sample questions. If you are looking to do hands-on prep beforehand, we can put you in touch with an interview ambassador from a past Fellow cohort to share their interview experience. Please arrive a few minutes early to account for finding and entering the building. The attire is business casual. Additional requests for accommodations, arrival, parking, etc. should be sent to staff prior to interview.

Yes absolutely! If you’d like to learn more from Fellows directly, please contact us at application@disabilitylead.org. Stories from our Fellows are also shared on our blog. Feel free to browse our Network page to see the diverse backgrounds, interest areas, and expertise our Fellows bring to the table.

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As an example, the 2024 Institute schedule included 5 full day sessions over Zoom paired with 60-90 minute virtual events summer through fall. Fellows also participated in at at least three meetings with their mentor.

Thanks for your intended support! The Institute is supported by generous donors like yourself. For ways to get involved by donating, contact Emily Blum.

The Institute is a year-long program for emerging leaders with disabilities. Fellows participate in intensive retreat sessions, year-long mentoring, and additional networking events to grow leadership skills and disability identity.

The Membership is for established leaders with disabilities who have a track record of demonstrated leadership. Additionally, new Members may have a further understanding of their disability identity. New Members will participate in a number of events and program offerings throughout the year, but will not be required to attend an intensive retreat session.

For more information about the Institute and all technical assistance, please contact application@disabilitylead.org