Welcome to our February 2026 newsletter!
Bringing you disability-related research, policy, events, training, consultation, and more.
February 2026 Highlights
In South Korea, Taiwan, China, Saudi Arabia, India, Australia and numerous European countries,Susanne Bruyère has spoken to rooms full of disability researchers and policymakers. As YTI’s academic director, she has shared her expertise for decades both nationally and internationally. Colleagues say Bruyère’s role in advancing disability inclusion in the workplace is indisputable.
Groundhog Day at the Yang-Tan Institute (YTI) is a time to gather around a plate of doughnuts and celebrate making it through the darkest days of winter.This year, we’ve used Groundhog Day not just to enjoy a sweet snack, but also to tunnel into our archive and dig out a few gems that you may have missed – keep reading below to explore them.
Workplace accommodations are not always “set-it-and-forget-it” solutions. As job duties, environments, and needs change, accommodations may need to evolve. Aimed at employment service professionals – and others involved in the employment process – the free, recorded webinar Is an Accommodation Forever? discusses monitoring accommodations over time, engaging in ongoing dialogue with employers, and ensuring that supports remain effective. The webinar is part of a four-part series about Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, created by the Northeast ADA Center, which is housed in YTI.
Even if you often see service animals, you may feel confused about the rules or uncertain of the etiquette. May a service animal go into a grocery store or restaurant? What can businesses ask a service animal’s “handler”? The Service Animals in Public Spaces website clears things up with four interactive tools inspired by questions to the helpline at the Northeast ADA Center. Aimed at business owners and service professionals, the tools explain the essentials and include common real-life scenarios so you can confidently welcome service animals and their handlers into your space.
If you’re an employer or HR professional, you may already know that as employees, veterans have a lot to offer, including skills gained from their military service, the ability to learn quickly, and comfort with working independently or in teams. During their service, some veterans acquire disabilities that impact them at work. The Disabled Veterans web page is a starting point and resource hub about recruitment and accommodation strategies for veterans with disabilities. It is published by the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability (EARN), which is housed at YTI.
Also, check out the recorded webinar Business Benefits and Workplace Accommodation Strategies for Employing Veterans with Disabilities from the Job Accommodation Network and EARN.
Youth with disabilities – including intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, or mental health disabilities – make up 30–60% of young people held in juvenile jails and prisons across the United States. But what happens when these youth are released? Y-Reconnects – short for Youth Reentering the Community through Opportunity, Networking, Navigation, Education, Collaboration and Transition Supports – is a web-based hub for YTI projects designed to improve employment and other life outcomes for youth with disabilities who have been involved in systems such as juvenile justice or foster care.
You can explore this topic in Y-Reconnects Community of Practice: Resources for System Transformation.This free, on-demand course blends engaging text and video to inform, inspire, and equip professionals, youth, and families. The course covers reentry, self-advocacy, and more.
Upcoming Events
Is That a Service Animal? What Rights Apply Where
March 3, 2026, 1:00–2:00 p.m. EST
Free webinar from the Northeast ADA Center
A popular topic that the Northeast ADA Center gets asked about is service animals. It can be confusing for individuals with disabilities, businesses, transit providers, and the public to know what rights a person with a disability has under which law, in which places, and what’s required. This webinar will discuss what is a service animal or an assistance animal – and where these animals can or cannot go.
Register for service animal webinar
YTIOnline & eCornell
Get credentials and education in disability employment at YTIOnline or advance your knowledge about disability at work as an HR professional with eCornell courses
Disability Workforce Development Center (DWDC)
DWDC provides professional development to practitioners supporting individuals with disabilities seeking competitive integrated employment.
Next Webinar:
Understanding and Supporting Employment for Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder
March 11, 2026 | 2:00–3:30 p.m. EST | $50 | CRC and CVE credits
Work Incentive Support Center (WISC)
WISC provides training to benefits planners about government disability benefits and work incentives.
Next Webinar:
Blindness Issues for Title II Disability and SSI: The Power of Political Persuasion
March 17, 2026 | 1:00–3:00 p.m. EST | $20 | WIP continuing education units
eCornell Offerings for HR Professionals
Disability at Work and Neurodiversity at Work are two eCornell courses created by YTI Academic Director Susanne Bruyère. You can take these online courses independently or as part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for HR Cornell Certificate Program.
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