What T-Mobile and Alaska Airlines leaders want St. Louis employers to know

St. Louis business leaders will explore AI, talent and workplace disability inclusion at the 2026 Starkloff Disability Employment Summit

Artificial intelligence is transforming how companies recruit, evaluate and manage talent. But as businesses embrace new technologies, an important question remains: Are they building the future of work for everyone?

That question will take center stage at the 12th annual Starkloff Disability Employment Summit, October 7-8 at World Wide Technology’s Global Headquarters in St. Louis. The Midwest’s leading workplace disability inclusion conference will bring together executives, human resources professionals, talent acquisition teams, employee resource group leaders, accessibility specialists and others who influence workplace culture.

Held during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Summit will move beyond awareness to examine how disability inclusion can strengthen recruitment, retention, innovation and organizational performance.

“Disability inclusion is not simply an HR initiative or something businesses should consider after other priorities have been addressed,” said Lori Becker, president and CEO of Starkloff Disability Institute. “It is a business strategy. When employers remove barriers and build disability confidence across their organizations, they gain access to talent, perspectives and problem-solving abilities that can make their companies stronger and more competitive.”

This year’s expanded two-day conference has been redesigned to provide practical strategies for professionals at every stage of their disability inclusion journey. Sessions will address artificial intelligence in hiring and the workplace, emerging policy and legal developments, accessible recruiting, workplace accommodations, disability disclosure, employee retention, leadership and organizational culture.

– Lori Becker, CEO, Starkloff Disability Institute

Opening keynote speaker Claudia L. Gordon, Esq., brings more than 30 years of corporate, government, legal and advocacy experience to the conversation. Gordon is the senior accessibility strategy partner at T-Mobile and the first Black Deaf woman attorney in the United States. She has also held leadership positions with Sprint, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Labor, the White House Office of Public Engagement and the National Council on Disability.

Gordon shares a meaningful connection with Starkloff Disability Institute’s history. In 2024, she received the Max Starkloff Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), an organization co-founded by our own Max Starkloff, disability rights leader. Colleen Starkloff presented Gordon with the award during NCIL’s annual conference in Washington, DC.

“Max and Colleen Starkloff helped demonstrate what becomes possible when disabled people lead and when society removes the barriers standing in their way,” Gordon said. “It is especially meaningful to join the Starkloff Disability Employment Summit and carry that legacy into today’s workplaces. I look forward to challenging employers to recognize disability inclusion not as an obligation, but as a source of talent, leadership and innovation.”

Closing keynote speaker Stephen J. Nelson, MSOL, director of culture and belonging at Alaska Airlines, will bring another corporate perspective. Nelson established the airline industry’s first full-service Disability Office and previously worked on The Walt Disney Company’s worldwide accessibility team.

“While some accommodations and accessibility evolutions require capital and can be expensive, most of the things you can do to empower your employees and ensure they truly thrive at work cost you nothing.” Nelson said. “In many cases, it’s as easy as asking, ‘What can I do to support your work and growth?’ If you come curious, and you let yourself believe what your employees or job candidates tell you, that’s the majority of the journey towards a more inclusive workplace.”

The Summit’s disability-led approach distinguishes it from traditional workplace conferences. Presenters combine lived experience with practical expertise in business operations, technology, accessibility and organizational change. Attendees will leave with strategies they can apply to hiring, retention, communication, workplace design and team culture.

Over its first 11 years, the Summit has engaged and educated more than 4,700 professionals. Starkloff reports that 100 percent of participating attendees increased their disability confidence—the knowledge and comfort needed to address disability in everyday workplace decisions.

“The businesses that will thrive in the future are the ones that understand human difference as an advantage,” Becker said. “This Summit will help St. Louis employers turn that understanding into action.”

The 2026 Starkloff Disability Employment Summit will be held October 7-8 at World Wide Technology Global Headquarters. Continuing education credits are available through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Learn more and register for SDES 2026.