Nomination template./PHOTO ; By AI
Ashoka, one of the world’s largest networks of social entrepreneurs, has announced a new global call for nominations for changemakers transforming the lives of people with disabilities.
The Fellowship seeks visionary social entrepreneurs, both with and without disabilities, who are reimagining systems to create more inclusive and equitable societies.
The initiative builds on Ashoka’s mission to identify and support leaders who are addressing root causes of social problems through innovative, scalable, and sustainable solutions.
Focus of the Fellowship
The Fellowship is open to social entrepreneurs working across all types of disabilities and focuses on initiatives that drive systems change. Priority areas include:
- Community Integration: Efforts that promote full participation of people with disabilities in community life.
- Empowerment and Leadership: Programs enabling people with disabilities to live self-determined lives and become changemakers themselves.
- Access to Key Opportunities: Innovations improving access to education, employment, technology, housing, healthcare, and play.
- Inclusive Design and Systems Reform: Solutions that influence policies, social norms, or institutions to make inclusion part of everyday life.
Ashoka aims to identify leaders who are not only solving individual challenges but also transforming the structures that sustain exclusion.
What the Fellowship Offers
Selected candidates will join a global community of over 3,800 Ashoka Fellows in more than 90 countries.
Each Fellow begins a lifelong journey of collaboration, learning, and impact acceleration. Key benefits include:
- Financial Support:
A stipend for up to three years (if required) to enable Fellows to fully focus on advancing their initiative. - Strategic Guidance:
Tailored mentorship, coaching, and professional development designed to strengthen organizational capacity and leadership skills. - Visibility and Reach:
Opportunities to showcase their work through Ashoka’s global platforms and networks, connecting Fellows with partners, funders, and media. - Peer Collaboration:
Access to a global network of changemakers working across diverse sectors, providing opportunities for shared learning and joint innovation.
The Fellowship is designed as a lifelong support system, ensuring Fellows continue to thrive long after the initial selection phase.
Who Can Be Nominated
Ashoka welcomes nominations of individuals who demonstrate:
- A transformative idea addressing disability inclusion at a systemic level.
- A track record of social impact, with evidence that their idea benefits communities.
- A creative and ethical entrepreneurial approach, capable of inspiring others and influencing policy or practice.
- A vision for scale, aiming to influence how society understands and responds to disability.
The Fellowship is open to both established social entrepreneurs and emerging innovators whose ideas have strong potential for long-term change.
How to Nominate
Nominations are open until November 30 and can be made in several ways:
Online Form:
Complete the official Ashoka nomination form, which takes about 30 minutes to fill out.
Email Submission:
Send a brief email including the nominee’s name and a link to their work or organization. The Ashoka team will follow up for additional details.
Offline Option:
If internet access is limited, download the Word version of the nomination form and submit it via the instructions provided.
Both self-nominations and third-party nominations are accepted.
Individuals can nominate themselves or someone they know whose work aligns with Ashoka’s mission of systems change for disability inclusion.
To nominate yourself or another person: CLICK HERE
Why This Fellowship Matters
The Ashoka Fellowship represents more than an award it is an investment in leadership that drives inclusive transformation. By supporting social entrepreneurs focused on disability inclusion, Ashoka aims to:
- Promote equity and accessibility in all aspects of life.
- Encourage the participation of people with disabilities as leaders and innovators.
- Foster global collaboration to break down physical, social, and institutional barriers.
- Build a shared understanding that inclusion benefits everyone and strengthens societies.
Through this Fellowship, Ashoka continues its commitment to shifting from isolated interventions to systemic solutions that embed inclusion at every level, from education systems and workplaces to urban planning and technology design.
A Global Community for Change
Joining the Ashoka Fellowship means becoming part of a dynamic global network of changemakers working to reimagine how societies function.
The program empowers leaders to grow their impact while contributing to a collective movement for inclusive innovation.
