National Disability Institute

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NDI is dedicated to building a better financial future for people with disabilities and their families

National Disability Institute is the first national nonprofit organization dedicated to building a better economic future for people with disabilities.

10/20/2026

Starts tomorrow! The Disability Owned Small Business Convening 2026 is free, fully virtual and open to existing and aspiring entrepreneurs with disabilities.

Oct. 21-22, 12:30 to 5 p.m. ET each day. Swipe to see what past participants had to say, then register at https://bit.ly/4BwUgUy

Know someone starting or growing a business? Tag them below.

Image description (alt-text embedded): A four-slide carousel from NDI’s Small Business Hub. Slide one reads “Starts tomorrow” beside a smiling woman wearing headphones. Slide two lists the Oct. 21-22 dates and times. Slide three shares participant quotes. Slide four reads “Register now!” with the website, over a photo of a man using a wheelchair at a coffee shop counter.

10/19/2026

Day Two of the Disability Owned Small Business Convening 2026 is Thursday, Oct. 22, live and online. 💙

Swipe through for the lineup:
12:30 pm ET: Certification 101
2 pm ET: Mapping the customer journey, plus self-employment and public benefits
3 pm ET: How to become DOBE certified, plus navigating IRS and Social Security rules
4 pm ET: The journey of a tech-startup founder

Register at https://bit.ly/47Usy6q

Image description (alt-text embedded): A series of blue National Disability Institute (NDI) Small Business Hub graphics. The first shows headshots of all Day Two speakers and panelists, the second shows speaker organization logos, and the rest each feature a session title, time and speakers.

10/16/2026

Tech is changing how people with disabilities find and keep jobs. Let’s talk about how to make that change work for everyone. 💻

Join NDI and Verizon for a conversation celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month. NDI Executive Director Tom Foley will be there with leaders from Verizon, AAPD, Deaf Equality, the Center for Democracy and Technology, Best Buy Health and Be My Eyes.

📅 Wed., Oct. 21
🕛 12–2 pm ET
📍 Verizon Technology and Policy Center, 1300 I St. NW, Suite 500E, Washington, DC 20005

ASL interpretation and live captioning will be provided. Bring a friend and RSVP: https://bit.ly/4i2VDkP

Image description (alt-text embedded): A flyer with a white background and teal, blue and red borders. The Verizon logo and a “Live Event” tag appear at the top, above the title “Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month: advancing accessibility through technology.” A headshot of Tom Foley, a smiling man in a dark suit and light blue shirt, sits at left, labeled “Executive Director, National Disability Institute.” Event details and an “RSVP Now!” button appear at right, with the NDI logo at bottom right.

10/14/2026

After a spinal cord injury, Teresa was told she would never walk again. She kept working on her recovery and her confidence, and she found new purpose.
With help from the American Dream Employment Network (ADEN), Teresa connected with ADEN Member StepToWork LLC and Patricia “Trish” Reonas, who supported her in reaching her job goals.

Teresa hopes her story encourages someone who’s unsure about returning to work. Disability doesn’t take away a person’s abilities, goals, education, talents, value or potential.

Ready for your next step? ADEN connects people with disabilities to real career opportunities at no cost and with no risk to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Assign your Ticket to Work to ADEN today.
Read Teresa’s full story: https://bit.ly/4AYmhUu

Image description (alt-text embedded): A three-slide carousel on a blue background. Slide 1 shows Teresa smiling in sunglasses and a white tee beside the title “Teresa’s Story” and the ndi ADEN logo. Slide 2 shares her success story in white and yellow text. Slide 3 shows a ticket icon and invites viewers to assign their Ticket to Work to ADEN.

10/13/2026

Disability-owned business owners, this one’s for you. 💙
Day One of the Disability Owned Small Business Convening 2026 is Wednesday, Oct. 21, live and online. Swipe through for the lineup:

12:30 pm ET: Welcome and keynote
2 pm ET: Finding your people, plus AI for your business
3 pm ET: From business idea to self-employment, plus a Deaf owned business panel
4 pm ET: Getting your business on Google Search and Maps

Register at https://bit.ly/4hOGFP9

Image description (alt-text embedded): A series of blue National Disability Institute (NDI) Small Business Hub graphics. The first shows headshots of all Day One speakers and panelists, the second shows speaker organization logos, and the rest each feature a session title, time and speakers.

10/12/2026

Only 22.8% of people with disabilities were employed in 2025. 💙

That’s not a talent gap. It’s a barrier gap.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and NDI Digital Marketing Manager TaKisha Adams shares what this year’s theme, “Celebrating Value and Talent,” asks of employers, job seekers, families and allies.

👉 Read the full post: https://bit.ly/4rWmyTU

Image description (alt-text embedded): Slide 1: A dark teal graphic with the National Disability Institute logo and “NDEAM 2026.” Large teal text reads “22.8%” with “of people with disabilities were employed in 2025.” Slide 2: “Not a talent gap. A barrier gap.” Below, about 3 in 4 people with a disability were outside the labor force, compared to 1 in 3 people without a disability. Slide 3: “New Blog Post!” and the NDI logo above a white card with a headshot of TaKisha Adams, who has locs and glasses and wears a mustard top, and the title “What NDEAM 2026 Asks of All of Us.”

10/07/2026

A life-changing injury took away his career. It didn't take away his purpose.

After a workplace accident left him unable to work for four years, ADEN Director Kevin Nickerson had to reinvent himself from the ground up. Today he leads a network connecting people with disabilities to vocational rehabilitation experts and disability service providers, building brighter financial futures through employment and small business ownership.

This , we're celebrating stories like his. Because when people with disabilities lead, everyone benefits. Learn more about ADEN at https://bit.ly/4hEGvLo

10/06/2026

Running a disability-owned business? This one's for you. 💙

Join us Oct. 21-22 for the Disability Owned Small Business Convening 2026, a free live webinar with more than 20 speakers sharing strategies to help you navigate an ever-changing business landscape. Swipe for five reasons to attend, then register today: https://bit.ly/4ACcbIJ

Image description (alt-text embedded): A seven-slide carousel from the NDI Small Business Hub. Slides 1-6 pair photos of diverse entrepreneurs working, presenting and learning with five reasons to attend. Slide 7 shares the event details in white text on a teal background: Oct. 21-22, 12:30-5 p.m., with a "Register Now!" button.

10/05/2026

Meet Vinnie. Though he was already employed, increasing caregiving demands related to his wife's declining health left him torn between caring for her and keeping his job. In 2018, Vinnie assigned his Ticket to Work with Susan Gaudet of Maine Vocational Solutions, an ADEN Member. As a paid attendant for his wife, Vinnie found a way to combine his two priorities: caring for her and increasing his income.

"I feel better about myself," Vinnie says. His renewed confidence led him back to his lifelong love of music. Today he sings, plays guitar and piano and is working on a new album.

Ready to find your own path forward? Learn more at https://bit.ly/4xz6Teu.

Image description (alt-text embedded): A three-slide carousel featuring Vinnie, smiling and playing acoustic guitar, followed by a slide detailing how he combined caregiving for his wife with paid work through ADEN's Ticket to Work Program, and a closing slide inviting others to assign their Ticket to Work.

10/01/2026

Happy National Disability Employment Awareness Month! 🎉

Every October, we celebrate the value and talent people with disabilities bring to the workforce. Since 1945, NDEAM has grown from a weeklong observance into a nationwide movement.

At NDI, we're proud to support employment through initiatives like the American Dream Employment Network (ADEN) and the Small Business Hub, plus free resources to help people navigate work incentives, work expenses and financial wellness. Swipe through to learn more, and explore our full library of tools at https://bit.ly/3TyNaO5. 💛

Image description (alt-text embedded): NDEAM carousel: title slide with coworkers collaborating (one using a wheelchair, one a white cane); NDEAM history slide; NDI's employment initiatives (ADEN, Small Business Hub); and a resource guide roundup.

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Washington D.C., DC

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+12022962040

Website

https://www.nationaldisabilityinstitute.org/

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