Relay Resources names speaker lineup for DisabilityNext summit

Relay Resources has announced more than 15 speakers for its second-annual DisabilityNext™ Summit, set for Oct. 6-7 in Portland during National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The event will focus on disability inclusion, workforce mental health and accessible hiring for employers, HR leaders and advocates.

Why it matters: - DisabilityNext™ Summit is built to push employers from awareness to action on disability inclusion in the workplace. - The conference lands during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, giving the event added visibility and relevance. - Relay Resources is framing the summit around practical takeaways for employers, HR professionals and advocates. - The agenda centers on disability employment, workforce mental health, accessible technology and scalable workplace accessibility strategies.

What happened: - Relay Resources announced the featured speaker lineup for the second-annual DisabilityNext™ Summit. - The summit takes place Oct. 6-7, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Portland in Portland, Oregon. - Relay Resources said the 2026 event expands from one day in 2025 to two days. - The inaugural summit drew hundreds of attendees to Portland State University in April 2025. - Full speaker announcements will be shared through Relay Resources’ email list and social channels in July.

The details: - Relay Resources said the summit will feature more than 15 speakers. - Marisa Hamamoto will deliver the opening keynote. Hamamoto founded Infinite Flow, a professional dance company with disabled and non-disabled performers. - Zach Anner will speak on disability representation, accessibility and belonging. Anner is a comedian, author, television writer and advocate who gained attention with Rollin' With Zach. - Grant Harris, founder and president of GTH Consulting and Compliance to Community, will address neurodiversity and inclusion. Harris is a Certified Diversity Executive and a three-time published autistic author. - Dr. Victoria Verlezza focuses on neurodiversity, psychological safety and equitable organizational design. Verlezza developed the Cognitive Equity Leadership Model™. - Dr. Joe Grasso, vice president of workforce transformation at Lyra Health, works on the intersection of mental health, disability and inclusive workplace design. - Jhillika Kumar founded Mentra, a neurodivergent-first talent platform that uses AI-powered assessments to match neurodiverse candidates with employers. - Dr. Hung Jen Kuo and Sarah George lead the GREAT Lab at Michigan State University, which uses technology to remove barriers for disabled people in workplace settings. - Lacey J. Henderson, the Portland Timbers’ mental performance coach, is also a Paralympian, NBC broadcast host, record holder and former Division I athlete. - Salesforce is the Diamond Sponsor for this year’s summit. - Amy Wood, Salesforce’s accessibility manager, will speak at the event. - Relay Resources said the summit will include ASL interpretation, live screen captioning, assistive listening devices, sensory break rooms, reserved wheelchair seating, sighted guides, service animal relief stations, sensory bags and accessibility-trained support staff. - Programming will include keynote addresses, DisabilityNext™ Talks, panel discussions, fireside chats and networking for leaders in corporate, government, nonprofit and higher education sectors.

Between the lines: - The speaker mix signals a broadening of the disability inclusion conversation beyond hiring into workplace culture, mental health, technology and leadership design. - Bringing in executives, researchers, advocates and performers suggests Relay Resources wants the summit to speak to both policy and practice. - Salesforce’s sponsorship and participation add corporate weight to the event’s business case for accessibility. - The accessibility features are also part of the message: the summit is designed to model the practices it promotes.

What's next: - Relay Resources will continue rolling out additional speaker announcements in July. - Registration is open at summit.relayresources.org. - The summit is expected to serve as a networking and learning forum for organizations looking to strengthen disability inclusion strategies.

The bottom line: - Relay Resources is using DisabilityNext™ Summit 2026 to make disability inclusion more practical, more visible and more actionable for employers.