Thought leaders and disability advocates gathered in Portland, Oregon for keynotes, DisabilityNext™ Talks and sessions on neuroinclusion and accessible tech.

PORTLAND, OR, UNITED STATES, October 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Relay Resources, the Pacific Northwest’s leading social enterprise nonprofit advancing disability inclusion in the workplace, concluded the second annual DisabilityNext™ Summit on October 7, drawing over 250 attendees to Portland for two days of programming focused on moving employers from awareness to action.

Content tracks included neuroinclusion in the workplace, workforce mental health, technology enablers for disability inclusion, and building inclusive workplaces, delivered through keynote addresses, DisabilityNext™ Talks, panel discussions, fireside chats, and structured networking.

At the summit, Relay Resources announced DisabilityNext™ Learning, Relay’s new leadership education platform designed to turn disability inclusion from a compliance checkbox into a competitive advantage. In addition to Relay’s announcement, speakers discussed the labor force participation gap between disabled and non-disabled people, employee disclosure rates relevant to business executives in attendance, and the revenue advantages of employing disabled people.

“DisabilityNext™ exists because disabled people still face double the unemployment rate and half the opportunity, and the labor gap is growing. This summit is where employers and leaders come together to move beyond conversation and into action. Our 2026 speaker lineup reflects the full breadth of what disability inclusion looks like in practice, from workforce mental health to neurodivergent-first technology to building inclusive work cultures,” said Dr. Jennifer Camota Luebke, President and CEO of Relay Resources.

The summit featured over 20 speakers at the leading edge of disability inclusion thought leadership, including opening keynote Marisa Hamamoto, Founder of Infinite Flow; comedian, author, and disability advocate Zach Anner; Grant Harris, MBA, CDE®, Founder of GTH Consulting; Jhillika Kumar, Founder and CEO of Mentra; Lacey J. Henderson, Paralympian and Mental Performance Coach for the Portland Timbers; Dr. Joe Grasso, Vice President of Workforce Transformation at Lyra Health; Dr. Victoria Verlezza, creator of the Cognitive Equity Leadership Model™; and Amy Wood, Accessibility Manager at Salesforce, the summit’s Diamond Sponsor.

In keeping with Relay Resources’ mission, the summit offered a full suite of accessibility accommodations throughout both days, including ASL interpretation, CART captioning, assistive listening devices, a dedicated sensory break room, sighted guides, a service animal relief area, Sunflower Lanyards, and trained venue support staff.

Feedback was highly positive, with attendees noting “not only did I love the diverse panel, but the diverse topics that were covered,” and “the accountability piece was great. Being able to translate what was learned into an action plan is so helpful, especially with how much we learned over the course of two days.” The next DisabilityNext Summit is slated for 2028.

Event Recap
What: DisabilityNext™ Summit 2026
When: October 6–7, 2026
Where: Hyatt Regency Portland, Portland, Oregon
Total Attendance: 250+
Speakers: 20+ national thought leaders across two days of programming

ABOUT THE DISABILITYNEXT™ SUMMIT
The DisabilityNext™ Summit is a multi-day conference produced by Relay Resources, dedicated to accelerating disability inclusion in the workplace. Programming includes keynote addresses, DisabilityNext™ Talks, panel discussions, fireside chats, and structured networking for leaders across the corporate, government, nonprofit, and higher education sectors.

ABOUT RELAY RESOURCES
Relay Resources is a disability-centered, Portland-based nonprofit that collaborates with companies to build disability-inclusive workplaces and that works with disabled people in building their careers. Our social enterprises employ disabled and non-disabled team members who deliver essential business services for our customers in the Pacific Northwest including janitorial and landscaping services, document imaging, and supply chain solutions. Our disability inclusion services team works with disabled people to help them find and maintain competitive, integrated employment in the community. The abilIT program trains neurodivergent people in cybersecurity and technical skills and supports them as they develop a career in technology. Through DisabilityNext™, our learning and consulting initiative, we educate and consult with employers to attract disabled talent by building disability inclusive cultures and systems. Relay is designing the future of workplace inclusion, learn more at RelayResources.org.
relayresources.org.

Kate Nance
Early PR
+1 832-273-5249

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