Booz Allen Hamilton

Booz Allen founded the Emerging Leaders program in 2001 to increase the participation of students with disabilities in the firm's summer internship program. One of the program goals was ultimately to include more people with disabilities in the firm's permanent workforce. After successfully launching the effort and carrying out two summer programs, the Booz Allen team saw the potential for greater impact and in 2003 made the commitment to include other corporate partners in Emerging Leaders. Under Booz Allen’s leadership the program's growth continued, and for 2005 the firm partnered with the National Business & Disability Council (NBDC) to further expand the opportunities for participating students.

National Business and Disability Council

The National Business and Disability Council (NBDC) is the leading resource for employers seeking to integrate people with disabilities into the workplace and reach them in the marketplace. NBDC administers the Emerging Leaders Program, providing extensive outreach within the NBDC membership network to recruit corporate partners and to targeted colleges and universities to recruit qualified applicants. NBDC processes all program applicants and provides ongoing consultation and support to both applicant and employer prior to, during, and following the hiring process.

Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

COSD is a national association of more than 450 employers and higher education institutions all focused on the career employment of college graduates with disabilities. COSD provides resources and information for professionals in higher education to better prepare students with disabilities to be competitive in their career search, and works with employers to successfully recruit college students with disabilities. Student and employer connections are enabled through the COSD Career GatewayTM - a nationwide recruitment site specifically focused on college students with disabilities. COSD is collaborating with Emerging Leaders, posting internship information on the COSD Career GatewayTM to help broaden the program's outreach.

Other collaborating organizations include:

	American Association of People with Disabilities
	U.S. Business Leadership Network
	U.S. Department of Education Youth to Work Coalition
	U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Recruitment Program
	ODEP - Office of Disability Employment Policy
	Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities