Harkin Summit 2026 Des Moines
The Harkin Summit brings together key champions and implementers from the private sector, public sector, and self-advocacy worlds to address the barriers to competitive, integrated employment for persons with disabilities.
This year’s summit is presented in collaboration with the CEO Commission for Disability Employment, and will take place in Des Moines, Iowa at the Tom and Ruth Harkin Center at Drake University from October 21-22, 2026.
The theme of this year’s summit is “Leveraging the Legacy of the ADA” and will bring together a small group of leaders in the disability policy space from across varied sectors and capitalize on the collected expertise and experience to have the group work together to help build the future of disability policy in the United States.
The event will include keynote speakers, presentations, panel discussions, and workshops will highlight examples of disabled leadership in our workforce in areas such as: non-profits and philanthropy, business and enterprise, government and public service, and arts, culture and sports.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026: Day 1 Agenda
9:30am – 9:40am: Welcome remarks
9:45am – 10:45am: Disabled Leadership in Non-Profit and Philanthropy panel discussion
11:00am – 12:00pm: Disabled Leadership in Business and Enterprise panel discussion
1:30pm – 1:45pm: Keynote speech
1:45pm – 2:45pm: Disabled Leadership in Government and Public Sector panel discussion
3:00pm – 4:00pm: Disabled Leadership in Arts, Culture, and Sports panel discussion
4:00 – 4:30pm: Closing remarks
Thursday, October 22, 2026: Day 2 Agenda
The ADA: Between Promise and Reality — Building the Next Generation of Disability Policy
8:30am – 9:00am: Welcome remarks
9:00am – 9:45am: The ADA at 36: Progress, Gaps, and Challenges panel discussion
10:00am – 10:45am: Closing the Gap: Creating the Next Generation of Disability Policy panel discussion
10:45am – 11:45am: Disability Policy Design Lab Activity
12:00pm – 1:00pm: Design Lab Showcase
1:00pm – 1:30pm: Closing remarks
Address: 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311
Phone: (515) 271-3623
Email: harkininstitute@drake.edu
Office Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.