Foundations for Building Effective Disability ERGs
Build a thriving, sustainable ERG that drives real change in your organization.
Are you leading or launching a Disability ERG?
Are you feeling overwhelmed, under-resourced, or unsure how to make a bigger impact?
You’re not alone. Many ERG leaders struggle with:
Recruiting and engaging members
Balancing ally participation with a safe space for disabled employees
Planning meaningful meetings and events that go beyond “checkbox” programming
Avoiding burnout as a volunteer leader
Figuring out how to influence organizational policy, not just host events
That’s why I’m hosting the Foundations for Building Effective Disability ERGs virtual workshop series.
This interactive workshop series will give you the tools, strategies, and confidence to:
Grow your membership with proven recruitment and engagement methods
Strengthen your culture by intentionally building it
Host events that actually land and get people excited about your mission
Create a safe and welcoming ERG space, even when allies are in the room
Plan meetings that matter (and keep members coming back)
Build a sustainable leadership structure so no one burns out
Understand why burnout happens and what to do about it with delegation, shared leadership, and self-care strategies
Go beyond events to make strategic organizational impact through advocacy
Position your ERG as a true changemaker within your company’s DEI framework
When
December 2 - 4, 2025
Session 1: December 2nd
Session 2: December 3rd
Session 3: December 4th
12:00 - 1:15 PM ET/9:00 - 10:15 AM PT/ 6-7:15 PM CET
(same timing for all sessions)
Where
All sessions will be held virtually via Google Meet. Autocaptions will be available.
What You’ll Learn
-
Session 1: Building ERG Membership & Culture
Recruitment strategies, engagement tactics, event promotion, and creating psychological safety
December 2
-
Session 2: Sustainable Leadership & Avoiding Burnout
ERG structures that work, leadership buy-in, validating leaders’ challenges, and self-care in times of fear
December 3
-
Session 3: From Events to Impact
How to use ERG influence for systemic change through data, advocacy, and organizational strategy
December 4
The way Catarina mixed in her own experiences into the session really hit our goal of driving empathy and ‘human understanding’ within our organization. I highly recommend working with Catarina.
Anthony Onesto, Chief People Officer, SUZY
“I had the pleasure of working with Catarina as a speaker in a recent webinar I facilitated, and she was fantastic. She came incredibly well-prepared, with thoughtful points and a clear understanding of the audience and topic. Her insights were delivered impactfully in a clear and engaging style. I’d absolutely welcome the chance to work with her again.”
Paulina Romero, Senior Partnerships Manager, National Organization on Disability
Why this matters:
Disability ERG leaders often carry the weight of creating systemic change, without enough resources or recognition. This course validates your experience, equips you with practical tools, and helps you build a long-term, strategic approach that benefits both your members and your organization.
With the right foundation, your ERG can:
Be a safe space for disabled employees to connect and thrive
Be a visible force for disability inclusion in your company culture
Influence leadership, policies, and practices, not just events on the calendar
Investment:
We want this course to be accessible for teams of all sizes.
$800 USD flat rate for up to 4 ERG representatives (includes 1 free seat)
$279 USD per person (Founder’s Rate – this price will never be offered again)
Have more than 4 attendees? Need bundle pricing or financial assistance? Send us an email to hello@catarinarivera.com to discuss sliding scale and group options.
Catarina has been featured in:
FAQs
-
Yes! All sessions in the Foundations for Building Effective Disability ERGs series will be recorded. Participants will receive access to the recordings after the series concludes so you can revisit the content anytime.
-
Accessibility is a top priority for us. All live sessions will include autocaptions. Agendas will be sent out in advance. All sessions will end on time.
If you have other access needs, please email us at hello@catarinarivera.com. We’re happy to discuss and ensure you can fully participate.
-
Yes, we do! We use the Green Bottle Method to determine sliding scale options for individuals who may need financial flexibility. It’s simple and easy to use, and we’re happy to explain it.
If you’d like to learn more about this or request an adjusted rate, please reach out to hello@catarinarivera.com for more information.
-
Absolutely. We encourage ERG teams to attend together! You can register as a group for a flat rate of $800 USD for up to 4 ERG representatives (includes one free seat). For groups larger than four, contact us at hello@catarinarivera.com for further options.
-
No problem! If you can’t join live, you’ll still get access to the full recordings and all materials. You’ll be able to learn and engage with the content at your own pace.
Meet your instructor
Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC is a public speaker and DEIA consultant with over 14 years of experience in the public sector. Catarina works with companies to improve disability awareness, inclusion, and accessibility. She has worked with over 140 organizations.
She is the founder of Blindish Latina, a platform smashing disability stigmas through storytelling and advocacy. Catarina has worn hearing aids from a young age and was diagnosed with a progressive vision disability at 17 years old. She has a BA from Duke University, an MSEd from Bank Street College of Education, and an MPH from Hunter College. Catarina is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (IAAP).
She is a member of KeyNote Women's Global Speakers Directory. Catarina is a TEDx speaker. She has been featured in Nasdaq, Authority Magazine, Forbes, and ABC News Live. Catarina was also named a LinkedIn Top Voice in Disability Advocacy. Her Instagram page @BlindishLatina was an official 2024 Webby Awards Nominee. Her TEDx talk, Creating Inclusive Workplaces for All, has 80K+ views.
