FAQ
What is the Leadership Institute for People with
Disabilities?
The Leadership Institute is a short-term, intensive transformative leadership experience for
people with disabilities (both evident and non-evident). It is designed to build leadership capacity
and create a community of people who continue to support each other once they complete the
program.
(Note: This program does not take the place of management or board training.)
Participants should expect to come out of this intensive experience with:
• An enhanced sense of self.
• An increased awareness of your leadership approach, your impact on others, your strengths,
and areas for improvement.
• Improved skills in cultural competence, cross cultural communication, and breaking through
internalized barriers that inhibit leadership.
• An increased capacity to influence others through effective communication.
• Knowledge to develop relationships and create a strong network of peers and support.
• A clearly articulated vision for manifesting leadership in the world and next steps to move the
leadership vision forward.
• A feeling of renewed self-confidence and preparedness to lead.
This program is designed and implemented by leading national experts in the fields of leadership
training, disability rights and civic engagement. The program will take place downtown Chicago.
All participants are expected to commit to participating in the training program during the
following times and to sleeping in the overnight accommodations arranged by the Institute.
Training involves intensive group work. Note these are approximate hours and may be adjusted –
they are provided to give a sense of the demands of the training.
• Thursday December 3rd: 11:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m., return to hotel by 8:00 p.m.
• Friday December 4th and Saturday December 5th: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (with short breaks).
Dinner will follow at approximately 6:30 p.m. at the hotel with possible evening programming
Saturday ending by 10:00 p.m.
• Sunday December 6th: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
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Who Should Apply?
The Leadership Institute seeks emerging leaders with disabilities who meet the following
criteria:
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Has 7-12 years of management and/or leadership experience demonstrated in
professional, civic or community contexts.
Self-identifies as a person with a current disability (may include both apparent and nonapparent disabilities, defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act as a person who has
a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life
activities).
Is a resident of the Chicago region (includes Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake,
McHenry and Will Counties).
Is interested in being engaged in the civic life of metropolitan Chicago and seeking out
the possibility of voluntary participation on a board, commission, or other leadership
position in public, private or non-profit sectors.
With personal leadership characteristics such as:
• Emotional Intelligence and agility.
• Strategic thinking.
• Gets results.
• Brings different groups together and has a commitment to collaboration.
• Wants to learn from others
• Is comfortable engaging with people across cultures and across disabilities.
• Willing to self-disclose and be a visible and vulnerable learner/leader in an intensive group
learning setting.
• Has a vision for leveraging their participation in the Leadership Institute for longer term
leadership in the Chicago region.
Will commit to the three and a half day schedule of the Institute, from 11 a.m. December 3rd –
through 3 p.m. December 6th, 2015. Programming on Friday and Saturday will extend from
early morning transportation from the hotel (approximately 9 a.m.) through the day,
supplemented by required dinners and evening sessions in the hotel (see approximate hours
above).
How Can I Participate?
All applicants must complete an application, and submit via web form or email.
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You will need references from 3 individuals—one who formally nominates you and two
additional references. The Nomination Form may be sent to Referees, just ask them to check the
area that designates they are References and not a Nominator. Application deadline is August 15,
2015 at 5 p.m.
Is There A Fee?
The $1500 tuition fee is due following acceptance to the program. Financial needs will not be a
barrier to participation. Scholarships are available.
What Accommodations Will Be Provided?
We seek to provide the highest level of accommodations possible to facilitate the full
participation of a diverse class of Fellows. Please complete as fully as possible the
accommodations section on your application so we may know as much as possible. Note:
Requests for accommodation will be considered and provided on a case by case basis based on
the nature of the request and reasonableness in light of available resources and constraints of the
program.
Accessible transportation will be provided between the training venue and hotel.
The Leadership Institute will not provide personal services or provide personal devices for
participants (i.e. personal care, service dogs, mobility devices, etc.). However, some general
supports will be available to ensure individuals are able to engage in the Institutes activities
(guidance regarding relief areas for service dogs, wait staff assistance during meals, general
assistance during required activities to ensure that individuals are able to fully participate).
When and Where Will It Take Place?
The inaugural class will take place in the downtown high rise offices of our corporate partner.
Overnight accommodations will be in a downtown hotel. (Please note any specific needs for
accessible hotel accommodations in the accommodation section)
The program kicks off Thursday morning December 3rd at 9:00 a.m., and ends Sunday December
6th at 3:00 p.m. Participants will be expected to be ready to leave the hotel by 8 a.m. on Friday,
Saturday and Sunday mornings.
What happens after the program?
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This is the inaugural class and applicants will be expected to participate in evaluation after the
program and to provide input to help shape the future of the Institute.
The Fellows class will become a peer support network to help each Fellow achieve their
leadership goals.
Pending funding and program design, the Leadership Institute hopes to create an Appointments
Project in 2016. This is conceived as an organized sustained program to connect leaders with
disabilities - both those who have participated as Fellow and other qualified applicants – to
public, private and non-profit boards, commissions, and other civic appointments. It will be
modeled on successful initiatives to connect LGBT leaders to public appointments pioneered by
the Victory Fund in Washington, DC.
What is the Nomination Process?
In addition to completing the application, each applicant must be nominated by at least one
person who is not a family member and provide two references.
A nominator should be someone who is well acquainted with the nominee and can attest to their
qualifications. The nominator is responsible for submitting the nomination form and must be
available for possible follow-up inquiries by the selection committees.
One nomination and two additional references are required. If you have more than one nominator
you may reduce the number of references (in other words, please provide three contacts: 1
nominator + 2 references; OR 2 nominators + 1 reference; OR 3 nominators).
Nominations must be completed and received by 5 p.m. (CST) on August 15th, 2015.
Nominations and References are accepted by web form and email (please use only one method).
Incomplete and/or late nominations will not be considered.
What is the selection process?
An advisory committee will review all applications and select participants for the inaugural class
of Leadership Institute Fellows. This is a competitive process, as there are a limited number of
positions for the inaugural class.
In addition to meeting the criteria listed above, the selection process will seek to build a class
that is diverse in terms of disability, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, profession and
sector (e.g. public, private, not-for-profit).
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Candidates will be contacted in August or September for phone or in-person interviews. All
finalists will be interviewed in person.
Fellows will be selected in early Fall, and announced at the ADA 25 Chicago Opportunity
Summit, November 16th, 2015.
Candidates who are not selected will be eligible to apply for future programs of the Leadership
Institute as they are developed.
When will the Inaugural Fellows Class be announced
to the public?
ADA 25 Chicago will celebrate the accomplishments of more than 150 program partners and
convene Chicago leaders to reflect on the anniversary and set agendas for the next 25 years at an
Opportunity Summit on November 16th and 17th 2015.
Fellows and their nominators will be invited to the summit and the class will be announced on
November 16th and celebrated as part of a reception that afternoon. The second day of the
summit, November 17th, will focus on employment of people with disabilities in collaboration
with the Chicagoland Business Leadership Network. Attendance on November 16th is highly
encouraged, and attendance on November 17th is optional.