Held during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the second annual Abilities, Opportunities & the Future of Work (AOFOW) Conference brought together a standing-room-only crowd of leaders, advocates, and innovators committed to building a more inclusive workforce. Hosted in partnership with the Broad College of Business, the Center for Ethical and Socially Responsible Leadership, and the College of Education, the event showcased how interdisciplinary collaboration can drive meaningful change across Michigan and beyond.
The conference was a culmination of months of planning and partnership, with support from Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS), ProAmpac, and a wide network of state, nonprofit, and industry organizations. The energy in the room was palpable, with participants filling the space from morning to evening, engaging deeply in sessions, workshops, and conversations.
“The energy, collaboration, and commitment that participants brought to the event were truly special and deeply meaningful,” said Sriram Narayanan, chairperson of the Department of Supply Chain Management, the Eli Broad Professor in Supply Chain Management and lead organizer of the event. “This year’s conference was especially meaningful as it coincided with National Disability Employment Awareness Month, adding both purpose and visibility to our shared mission.”
The day began with opening remarks from MSU leadership, emphasizing the importance of workforce inclusion and the role of academia in shaping the future of work. Three keynote speakers, each a national leader in disability inclusion, set the tone for the day’s discussions.
“Together, their talks grounded the day’s discussions,” Narayanan said. “They offered powerful perspectives that inspired and put in perspective both research and cultural challenges in creating an inclusive workforce.”
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Feranmi Okanlami (University of Michigan) challenged attendees to rethink disability as “a different way of navigating excellence.”
Susanne Bruyere (Cornell University) emphasized that inclusive design must be treated as a business imperative, not an afterthought.
The conference featured two main sessions, each designed to spark dialogue and share best practices across sectors.
Session One: Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Disability Inclusion
This session explored how emerging technologies, from AI-enabled tools to augmented reality systems, can empower workers with disabilities. Speakers emphasized that innovation must be designed for empowerment, not evaluation, and that collaboration across engineering, design, and policy is essential.
Session Two: Enhancing Recruitment and Retention for Individuals with Disabilities
The second session focused on people, policy, and culture. Panelists shared strategies for inclusive hiring and leadership development, reinforcing that inclusion is not charity, it’s a pathway to stronger, more resilient organizations.
Throughout both sessions, participants from across sectors contributed insights, questions, and examples from their own organizations, making the event truly participatory.
This year’s AOFOW conference welcomed representatives from 69 unique organizations, including higher education institutions, private companies, government agencies, workforce development groups, and nonprofits. The diversity of attendees reflected the full spectrum of Michigan’s workforce inclusion ecosystem.
“The audience represented nearly every part of Michigan’s workforce inclusion ecosystem,” Narayanan said. “From companies advancing accessible employment and technology innovation, to community organizations supporting individuals with disabilities, to policy groups building equitable access and opportunity.”
The event also featured contributions from key partners:
ProAmpac, a Boston-based packaging company, generously sponsored speaker travel and honorariums.
The planning team is now working on a white paper to document the lessons and collaborations sparked by the event. Testimonials will be added to the conference website, and the highlight video will help share the story and impact of AOFOW 2025 with a broader audience.
“Overall, the event reaffirmed how AOFOW can serve as a platform to meaningfully impact stakeholders across Michigan,” Narayanan said. “It provides a participative voice for business, state, and academic organizations to come together around ideas that promote disability inclusion and help build a stronger, more adaptive, and equitable workforce.”
