Eligibility
Who is this programme for?
I Can Lead is designed exclusively for young women with disabilities across India.
Whether you are a student, entrepreneur, lawyer, artist, researcher, dreamer, or someone still figuring things out — this programme is for you. We welcome women with disabilities from all walks of life.
You do not need any specific educational qualifications or work experience to apply. What matters most is your willingness to learn, reflect, build community, and create meaningful change in your own way.
What is the minimum eligibility criteria to apply?
Applicants must:
- Be a woman with a disability.
- Be between 20 and 35 years of age.
- Be a resident of India.
- Be able to commit up to 8 hours per week from August 2026 to May 2027.
- Be fairly proficient in English (reading and writing), as all course materials, assignments, and programme communication will be in English.
- Be comfortable using basic technology tools such as email, Zoom, online learning platforms, and internet research to engage in the programme’s virtual components, such as learning labs, self-paced courses, and mentoring sessions.
- Be committed to driving change in their sphere of influence.
Is there a fee for this course?
No. I Can Lead is a fully funded leadership programme for women with disabilities.
The programme is designed to ensure that financial barriers do not stand in the way of accessing leadership development opportunities. Through external funding support, participants receive access to learning, mentorship, coaching, and community-building at no cost.
Programme Structure & Support
What is the duration and expected time commitment for this programme?
I Can Lead 2026 is a 10-month, part-time leadership programme running from August 2026 to May 2027.
Participants are expected to commit up to 8 hours per week towards programme activities, including live sessions, assignments, self-paced learning, mentoring, and project work.
The part-time structure allows participants to balance the programme alongside work, education, personal responsibilities, and other commitments.
Is the programme virtual or in-person?
The programme follows a hybrid model:
- Approximately 80% virtual.
- Approximately 20% in-person.
The sessions and activities will take place online. The programme will conclude with an in-person graduation event designed to celebrate participants’ journeys, strengthen community connections, and mark the completion of the programme together.
The hybrid format is intentional, reflecting the way people learn, work, and lead today. It is designed to make the programme more accessible, flexible, and inclusive for women with disabilities across geographies.
What will participants gain by joining the programme?
Through a 10-month learning journey curated through different components, participants will:
- Lead Authentically: Develop a leadership style grounded in their own experiences, values, and perspectives.
- Grow Adaptively: Build skills to navigate complex situations and systemic barriers with awareness and intention.
- Build Community: Connect with a powerful network of peers, mentors, experts, and a life coach to foster collective resilience and solidarity.
- Master New Skills: Engage in learning labs and practical experiences that strengthen confidence, knowledge, communication, and leadership practice.
What are the different modules and components of the programme?
The programme is organised across three core modules:
- The Internal Compass: Exploring identity, lived experience, power structures, and self-awareness to anchor your unique leadership journey.
- The Bridge Builder: Developing communication, negotiation, collaboration, and advocacy skills to navigate relationships, systems, and spaces with confidence.
- The Catalyst: Practicing adaptive leadership during conflict and crisis, leading ethically, and demonstrating leadership vision for actionable change.
These modules are supported by a 360-degree learning approach, grounded in the belief that leadership grows when nurtured in the right environment. Participants will engage in:
- Nine expert-led learning labs.
- Four months of life coaching.
- Four months of individualised mentoring sessions.
- Self-paced learning courses.
- Hands-on assignments.
- Peer learning and networking spaces.
- An Impact Project designed to apply programme learning in real-world contexts.
Participants will also engage with business leaders, entrepreneurs, disability rights advocates, feminist practitioners, mental health professionals, legal experts, communication specialists, filmmakers, and leaders from diverse sectors.
What is the Impact Project?
As part of the programme, each participant will design and implement an Impact Project within their own context or community. The project offers an opportunity to address a challenge affecting women with disabilities through research, interventions, advocacy, or other forms of action.
While participants have flexibility in shaping their projects, each project is expected to have clear goals and outcomes.
The Impact Project enables participants to apply programme learnings to real-world contexts and create tangible, meaningful change in areas they care about.
Does the programme include life coaching and mentoring?
Yes. Participants will receive one-on-one life coaching and personalised mentoring support during the programme.
These spaces are designed to support participants in navigating personal and professional goals, strengthening leadership journeys, and reflecting on challenges and growth.
How will participants’ access needs be addressed during the programme?
Accessibility is not an add-on to I Can Lead — it is built into the design of the programme.
Participants’ access needs will be discussed during the application and onboarding process, and the team will work closely with participants to provide appropriate accommodations and support throughout the programme.
The programme aims to create a safe, inclusive, disability-affirming, and intersectional learning space where participants can engage fully and confidently.
Does the programme include a stipend or financial support?
No, the programme does not offer a stipend.
However, I Can Lead is fully funded, and participants are not required to pay any programme fees. Rising Flame covers all core programme-related expenses.
Application Process
What is the application process?
The application process has two stages:
- Submission of the application form.
- An interview with a Rising Flame team member and an I Can Lead alumna.
What is the deadline to apply?
Applications for I Can Lead 2026 close on June 10th, 2026.
If my application was not accepted previously, can I apply again?
Absolutely! We encourage previous applicants to re-apply.
Each cohort is different, and we recognise that people’s journeys, experiences, and circumstances evolve over time.
Outcomes & Alumnae
What have alumnae gone on to do after the programme?
Across the first two cohorts, 18 women with disabilities have completed I Can Lead. Since then, alumnae have:
- Become published authors.
- Driven accessibility changes in their workplaces and institutions.
- Become TEDx speakers and conference presenters.
- Gone on to pursue Master’s degrees at prestigious global universities.
- Started their own firms.
- Become national changemakers.
What makes I Can Lead different from other leadership programmes?
I Can Lead is one of the few national leadership programmes in India designed specifically by women with disabilities, for women with disabilities. The programme is rooted in the belief that when women with disabilities lead, every sphere becomes more inclusive.
While many leadership programmes focus on changemakers from specific sectors or professional pathways, I Can Lead recognises and nurtures leadership that can emerge from any background, domain, or lived experience.
Rather than asking participants to fit into conventional leadership moulds, the programme supports them in developing leadership that is authentic, adaptive, and grounded in their lived experiences. The programme also recognises that leadership development cannot happen through training alone. It combines skill-building with mentorship, coaching, peer community, reflection, and real-world practice to support participants through their leadership journeys.
About the Team
Who runs the programme?
I Can Lead is led by Rising Flame, a National Award-winning not-for-profit organisation working for the rights of persons with disabilities in India, with a focus on women and youth with disabilities.
The team is community-led, with each member bringing lived experience and deep expertise to the design and delivery of the programme. Drawing from the organisation’s journey and experience, the team is well-equipped to support participants in leading change within their own contexts.
In addition, participants will learn from and engage with an extensive network of diverse subject matter experts (SMEs) throughout the programme journey.