2026 Disability:IN NextGen Leaders Program Application

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Disability:IN is the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide. The NextGen Leaders Program is a six-month virtual mentoring program that pairs mentors from one of Disability: IN's Corporate Partner Companies with mentees who are college students and recent graduates with disabilities to focus on career readiness and employment outcomes. 

Eligibility: 
To participate in the 2026 NextGen Leaders Program, you must: 

  • Be either a current undergraduate, graduate, or law student (enrolled and actively attending classes) or a recent graduate (no earlier than 2024) of an accredited college or university. 
  • Self-identify as an individual with any type of disability
  • Be located in North or South America
  • Possess all proper and necessary work authorization documents for work in the United States and/or your desired country of employment
  • Be fluent in both verbal and written English for the purposes of general business correspondence and communication with your mentor

Disability:IN does not discriminate based on race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, and marital status. 


All applications require a resume upload (.docx or .pdf) and LinkedIn profile. 

The NextGen Leaders Program is a competitive, discretion-based program that receives more applications than can be accepted. If you are selected, you will receive an invitation and participation agreement that must be completed to confirm your placement in the program. 


This online application must be completed by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. No exceptions or extensions will be granted.

The NextGen Leaders Program has two components: 


1. NextGen Virtual Mentoring Program

A six-month mentorship program for college students and recent graduates with disabilities. The program connects NextGen Leaders with experienced professionals from Disability:IN’s Corporate Partners, creating supportive relationships to help navigate searching for a job. NextGen Leader mentees will gain access to mentors from Disability:IN Corporate Partners, however there is no guarantee that NextGen Leaders will receive a job offer as a result of participating in the program. Assigned mentors are based on the availability of mentors across different occupational fields, and there is no guarantee that your mentor will be from your preferred industry.

 

Note: Once assigned with a mentor from a Corporate Partner, you may be required to complete additional releases or agreements with the Corporate Partner as part of their internal process. Such additional company-specific requirements, if applicable, are beyond the scope and authority of Disability:IN to administer, alter, or waive.  

 

2. NextGen Talent Accelerator

A select group of NextGen Leaders will also be chosen to attend the 2026 Disability: IN Global Conference & Expo from July 25-30, 2026, at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas.


If selected, you’ll have the opportunity to engage in two days of pre-conference skills building, leadership development and networking on July 26-27 prior to attending the full conference July 28-30 alongside more than 3,000 disability champions from across the globe. 


Participating NextGen Leaders can meet and network with corporate partners from across industries through interactive development workshops, facilitated networking and Matchmaking Sessions, resume building activities and more.


Disability:IN may cover select costs at its sole discretion for conference registration, reasonable accommodations, and standard travel (airfare, hotel, and meals) for approximately 50 NextGen Leaders who are selected to attend the conference. 


NOTE: Vocational Rehabilitation consumers, Disability:IN may engage with State Vocational Rehabilitation for some reimbursement opportunities. 


Not all applicants will be selected to attend the conference as it is a highly competitive, discretion-based process. 


NextGen Talent Accelerator Goals:

  • Build NextGen Leaders' professional skills for the private employment sector
  • Help businesses identify talented individuals for employment opportunities
  • Secure interview and networking opportunities with Disability:IN Corporate Partners
  • Collaborate with other NextGen Leaders as part of the Innovation Lab (iLab) design competition
  • Increase NextGen Leader confidence as job and internship seekers

* An asterisk notates a required question or field. 


NOTE:  Marked (“**”) questions below are for possible use in the mentor/mentee assignment process and might also be reported on in the aggregate for program funding requirements.

Eligibility Questions






You must be able to satisfy and respond “Yes” to all items above to be eligible to participate in the NextGen Leaders Program. If you answer “No” to any of these items, you are not currently eligible for the program, and it is recommended that you do not continue completing this application.


Application Information: 









Demographics

































26. Please rank 5 of the current Disability:IN Corporate Partners you are interested in.


Please note that we cannot guarantee that your mentor will be from one of these corporate partners and that corporate partners are subject to change.













29. What are two objectives that you have for participating in the NextGen Leaders Program?




Page 2 - Supplemental Application for NextGen Talent Accelerator at the Disability:IN Global Conference & Expo 

The following questions are only required for applicants interested in being selected for the NextGen Talent Accelerator taking place at the Disability:IN Global Conference & Expo from July 25-30, 2026, at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas. 

If you are interested in attending the conference, please complete the following questions. If you are only interested in the six-month virtual mentoring program and do not wish to be considered to attend the conference, please skip the following questions, and scroll to the bottom of the page to click “Submit”.


If you are interested in applying to participate in the conference, please review and check the guidelines to confirm that you understand and agree to our conference eligibility requirements: 

  • Provide any required information, complete pre-conference assignments, and post-conference reports by required due dates.
  • Participate in ALL conference preparation calls.
  • NextGen Leaders selected to attend conference are expected to attend the pre-conference and conference sessions in their entirety. 
  • Always conduct yourself in a professional manner during events.

Failure to meet the expectations outlined above may result in the cancellation of conference attendance and funding.
















NOTE: Per the Disability:IN Conference Accommodations Policy, select personal care accommodations required within personal hotel sleeping rooms that extend beyond standard hotel infrastructure and that require additional cost are not guaranteed and will be provided, if available and feasible, at the attendee’s own full expense.













Contact Information