World Institute on Disability

Hire a house cleaner, nanny, or caregiver? Learn how to be a fair domestic employer and make your home a great place to work.

The Work Agreement Clinic is hosted by Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network and the World Institute on Disability to help employers develop an ideal work agreement. One that reflects the key principles of legal and fair employment: clear communication, fair pay, paid time off, and health and safety protections.

We'll also walk through DB101 California, the free plain-language site that explains how the state's benefit programs work and lets you run your own numbers because for many households, what you can put in a work agreement depends on what the benefit rules allow.

Bring a draft agreement, an old one that needs updating, or nothing at all. You'll leave with something on paper.

Free to attend. Session 2 of a three-part series; each session stands on its own

Register via Zoom to attend: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8iGsDnaLT5SzEAfLVB18MA #/registration

We're proud to support the M-Enabling Summit 2026.

For more than a decade, M-Enabling has been where policy, industry, and disability community expertise meet in the same room and that combination is exactly how accessibility moves from principle to practice.

WID joins this year's Summit (October 4–7, Arlington, VA) as a supporter and as a participant. Here's where you will find WID at the M-Enabling Summit.

Monday, October 5th,

WID's CEO and Executive Director, Marcie Roth, will be speaking on Hyper-Personalized Emergency Communications: Delivering Life-Saving Information for Everyone along with Jonathan Thurston and Ryan Hutchison @ 2:50 PM.

Tuesday, October 6th -

WID Board member, Susan Mazrui and Zachary Bastian, will speak on Redefining Independence: Spatial intelligence and Human-centered AI for Blind Navigation on Tuesday, October 6th, @ 1:30 PM ET.

WID Board Chair, Luis Gallegos, will speak on Designing for a 120-Year Life: Accessibility, AI, and the Future of User Experience @ 1:30 PM.

WID Senior Fellow, Judy Brewer, will speak on Disability-Inclusive Technology Policymaking: How Digital Accessibility Supports and Helps Inform Equitable Policy Development and Why it Matters @ 2 PM.

Lauren C. Lobrano will speak on Accessibility Going Mainstream Across Verticals with Fred Moltz on Monday, October 5th at 9:30 AM ET.

If you'll be there, come find us. If you haven't registered yet, there's still time: https://www.m-enabling.com/event/c303ac78-b6b9-45b3-a375-10f9ea7bc56b/register

What is the Disability 20 (D20)?

As America marks its 250th anniversary, the D20 is bringing the disability community to the table uniting disabled leaders, advocates, and allies to ensure disability rights, access, and representation are part of the story. 2026 is more than a milestone year. It's an opportunity to shape the next chapter of disability inclusion across the globe.

Scan the QR code in the graphic (or follow the link below) for news, upcoming events, and ways to engage.

Link: https://wid.org/disability-20-d20-advancing-disability-inclusion-across-the-g20/

Your voice. The G20's agenda. One survey.

The Disability 20 (D20) Global Input Survey is now open and it's how disabled people worldwide will directly shape the recommendations going to G20 leaders in 2026.

The D20 is an informal disability-led G20 engagement group, hosted this year by the World Institute on Disability. Before we finalize our policy recommendations, we need to hear from you.

The survey asks about the barriers that matter most across regulatory systems, energy access, AI and emerging technologies, accessibility, gender, youth, and data.

Your responses will directly inform:
- D20 recommendations to G20 leaders ahead of the 2026 Summit
- Our UN COSP side event on June 11
- The D20's transition to the UK's 2027 G20 Presidency

We especially welcome input from individuals with disabilities, DPOs, youth-led groups, multiply marginalized communities, and researchers and advocates worldwide. All responses are anonymized.

Take the survey: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8849076/2026-D20-Global-Input-Survey-Shaping-Disability-Inclusive-G20-Policy

Find out more about the D20 and register for our virtual COSP Side Event: https://wid.org/disability-20-d20-advancing-disability-inclusion-across-the-g20/

Please share widely global representation depends on it.

We’re proud to welcome Aliança Fernandes to the World Institute on Disability Board of Directors.

Aliança is a dedicated peer leader and advocate from Timor-Leste, bringing a vital youth-led and grassroots perspective to WID’s board. As the Lead Project Coordinator for Juventude ba Dezenvolvimentu Násional (JDN), she has spent some time spearheading initiatives that educate and empower young people. Her leadership is centered on the intersection of disability rights, gender equity, and civic safety, ensuring that marginalized voices are at the forefront of national development.

At JDN, a dynamic community-based organization in Dili, Aliança has been instrumental in leading the Safe Transport Campaign. This critical work advocates for accessible and secure public transportation for women and people with disabilities, aiming to eliminate discrimination and systemic barriers to mobility. Her efforts extend to diverse community issues, including sexual and reproductive health education and public health prevention programs, reflecting her holistic approach to social inclusion.

With a deep commitment to eliminating social stigma, Aliança bridges local activism with broader human rights advocacy. Her work reflects the power of youth-led movements in creating sustainable change and improving the quality of life for persons with disabilities in the Pacific region. Aliança’s voice strengthens WID’s commitment to global representation and inclusive safety, and we are honored to have her leadership guide our future impact.

We’re honored to welcome Sabine Lobnig to the World Institute on Disability Board of Directors!

Sabine is a distinguished leader in global telecommunications and accessibility, currently serving as the Director of Communications for the Mobile & Wireless Forum (MWF). In this role, she represents an international association of companies dedicated to the evolution of 5G and the Internet of Things, with a primary focus on the Global Accessibility Reporting Initiative (GARI). Her work with GARI is instrumental in empowering consumers to identify mobile devices, wearables, and Smart TVs with specialized accessibility features, ranging from built-in screen readers to haptic feedback, that meet their individual needs.

Her leadership extends into the professional accessibility community as a founding member of the D-A-CH Chapter of the IAAP - International Association of Accessibility Professionals. Sabine is deeply committed to systemic inclusion, having recently completed a master’s thesis in 2024 focused on the critical challenge of increasing the representation of people with disabilities in leadership positions. This academic rigor, combined with her technical expertise, allows her to bridge the gap between emerging technology and inclusive corporate governance.

With over a decade of experience in international communications and digital advocacy, Sabine brings a wealth of knowledge in making complex technical landscapes accessible to all. Her voice strengthens WID’s commitment to global digital equity and the advancement of disability representation in the executive suite. We’re honored to welcome her and excited for the impact ahead.