Mobility International USA (MIUSA) and the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) are proud to be among five finalists in the running for the 2026 InnovateEA, a competition hosted by the Forum on Education Abroad designed to “ignite change in education abroad.”
MIUSA’s pitch is “Wheelchair Riders Change the World!”, a bold new initiative to increase the number of wheelchair riders participating in international education and to enhance the experiences they have abroad. Wheelchair Riders Change the World! provides scholarships to self-identified wheelchair riders to have an international education experience consisting of both in-person and online components. Participants return home as passionate ambassadors for international education and recruit peers to create a multiplier effect.
MIUSA CEO Susan Sygall, a proud wheelchair rider herself, describes what motivated her innovative idea: “We have so few people with disabilities – especially wheelchair riders – who are participating in international educational exchange. I think we can totally turn that around! And so instead of being the lowest group of people participating in international exchange, we can be the leaders!”
MIUSA was delighted to invite Kevin Sullivan, Assistant Director of Education Abroad at Case Western Reserve University, to present the pitch on MIUSA’s behalf at the Forum on Education Abroad Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee on Friday, March 13, 2026, during the Closing Celebration Luncheon.
Kevin writes: “As an international educator who is also a wheelchair user, I can speak with certainty that individuals with disabilities are expertly skilled at problem solving and adapting to different situations. Not because we always want to, but learning those skills comes with the territory of living in a world without universal access—a world not built for us.”
Congratulations to the other 2026 InnovateEA finalists, which include:
- AI Context Playbook: The AI Built for International Education | Kodi Henderson, Education Product Lead, Hanover CRM, and Robert Burchell, Managing Director, Hanover CRM
- Connecting Community College Students to the World: A Virtual Fair Model | Shawn Wall, Founder & Executive Director, World at Hand
- Creating Global Belonging: The Pride Network for Education Abroad | Dr. Carolina Castro Huercano, Chair and Assistant Professor of the Global Master of International Education, School for International Training (SIT Graduate Institute)
- Neurodiversity and Disability Abroad: A Website for Inclusive Study Abroad | Mary Alice Haas, University Relations Director, CIS Abroad – Center for International Studies, Cherie Fishbaugh, Executive Director of Specialized Learning, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and Emily Rooney, EdD, Director of Academic Programs and Services, CEA CAPA Education Abroad
Read more details about the finalists on the InnovateEA webpage.
To vote for the 2026 winner, register for Annual Conference 2026.
