You bring talent, experience, and drive to the table. But the workplace wasn’t built with you in mind—and most career resources don’t account for the unique challenges disabled professionals face. Starkloff Career Academy does.

Led by career experts who are disabled professionals themselves, Starkloff Career Academy gives you the skills, confidence, and community to compete for the career you want—on your own terms.

This program is free. Starkloff Career Academy is offered at no cost to candidates, thanks to the support of our funding partners.

Starkloff Career Academy serves disabled adults who:

• Hold a post-secondary degree, credential, or competitive training
• Are actively pursuing employment or currently working in a competitive job
• Have recently acquired a disability and are navigating the workplace for the first time with it

We welcome candidates from the St. Louis region and across the country.

Starkloff Career Academy meets you where you are. Whether you’re launching your career, navigating a transition, or stepping into leadership, there’s a level designed for exactly where you stand right now.

Starting Out

Leveling Up

Leading the Way

Most career programs treat disability as an afterthought. We built this one around it.

Learn from people who’ve been there. Every instructor is a disabled professional with real-world experience navigating the same workplace challenges you face. They don’t just teach this—they’ve lived it.

Practice with real employers. You’ll get mock interview experience with hiring professionals from disability-welcoming companies in the Starkloff partner network—so you walk into real interviews already confident.

Build a community that lasts. You’ll learn alongside other disabled professionals who share your experience. The peer relationships you build in Starkloff Career Academy extend well beyond the program.

50+ corporate partners including

Every level of Starkloff Career Academy draws from a curriculum built specifically for disabled professionals. Core topics include:

Identify your strengths, interests, and support needs. Connect them to real career directions and set goals you can act on.

Practice communicating your needs, requesting accommodations, and navigating difficult workplace conversations with confidence.

Write standout resumes and cover letters. Sharpen your interview skills. Build a personal brand and strategic network that open doors.

Learn how modern hiring works, how recruiters think, and how to find and target the right opportunities.

Build a foundation in financial literacy and connect with the resources and support network that will carry your career forward.

Fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch to talk through which level is right for you and answer any questions.

Now enrolling! Next class begins early August.

You’re ready to work. You have the education, the skills, and the ambition. What you need now is a clear path forward—and a community of people who understand what it actually takes to launch a career with a disability.

Foundations gives you both.

Over eight weeks, you’ll meet once a week with a small group of disabled professionals in a live virtual classroom on Zoom. Sessions run 60 to 90 minutes, and you’ll complete independent work between classes to apply what you’re learning in real time. Between sessions, you can access one-on-one coaching with a Starkloff staff member.

The day of the week is set based on candidate availability—so your schedule shapes the program, not the other way around.

• A resume and cover letter that represent your full value
• Interview skills you’ll practice with real hiring professionals from Starkloff’s employer partners
• A confident, strategic approach to talking about your disability with employers
• SMART goals that move you toward the job you actually want
• A peer network of disabled professionals you’ll stay connected to long after the course ends

Foundations is designed for disabled adults who are entering the workforce, returning after a gap, or navigating employment for the first time since acquiring a disability.

You should have a post-secondary degree, credential, or competitive training—and be actively pursuing competitive employment.

This program, valued at $2,800, is offered at no cost to candidates thanks to the generous support of Starkloff’s funding partners.

Coming soon—details will be announced shortly.

You’ve built a foundation. Now you’re ready to move—into a new industry, a new role, or a new chapter after a life change. Transitions helps you translate everything you’ve already built into your next opportunity.

Transitions goes deeper into the job search and career strategy skills that open new doors—including how to reframe your experience for a new industry, navigate a career change alongside a newly acquired disability, and position yourself as a competitive candidate in an unfamiliar field.

The next Transitions cohort date will be announced soon. Fill out the form below and select Transitions to be notified when enrollment opens.

Coming soon—details will be announced shortly.

You’ve proven yourself in the workplace. Now you’re ready for more—a promotion, a board seat, a leadership role, or a bigger platform. Advancements is the only ongoing professional development program built specifically for disabled leaders.

Each quarter, Advancements dives into a new leadership topic through expert-led sessions and peer discussion. You’ll build the skills to navigate the unique barriers disabled leaders face — and expand a network of peers who are doing the same thing at the same level.

The next Advancements programming will be announced soon. Fill out the form below and select Advancements to be notified when enrollment opens.

Starkloff Career Academy is a program of the Starkloff Disability Institute, a nonprofit working since 2003 to break down barriers and build a more inclusive world for disabled people. We are not a job-placement agency—we build the skills, confidence, and community you need to find and advance in the career you want.