Fall Internship Program
The AAPD Fall Internship Program is a professional and career development opportunity for disabled students and recent graduates. Interns explore career opportunities, gain leadership skills, and connect to the broader disability community.
The AAPD Internship Program helps students and recent graduates with disabilities feel proud of who they are. This way, they can make our workplaces and communities better in the future. In Fall of 2023, we launched the Fall Internship Program for the first time. It expanded our Summer Program which had been around for over 20 years. We wanted more ways for disabled students and recent graduates to build their skills.
To make the program more accessible, we made some changes. The Fall Internship is fully virtual and part-time. By having the internship remotely, it means more people can join across the country. The part-time schedule is also more flexible. It can help disabled people who may not be able to complete a full-time internship. Interns can take part while they are in school or have other work commitments.
The 2025 Fall Internship Program
The 2025 AAPD Fall Internship Program is 14 weeks long, running from September 2 to December 5, 2025. Interns will work part-time for 15 hours a week. As part of the 2025 Fall Internship Program, interns will:
- Attend a virtual kickoff call on April 4, 2025
- Attend an optional in-person gathering in Washington D.C. during the week of July 21, 2025
- Participate in a virtual orientation on Sunday, August 24 from 12-4pm ET with breaks
- Take a disability advocacy class every 2 weeks. We’re planning for Fridays between 12-3pm ET
- Connect one-on-one with a virtual mentor
- Join virtual community events throughout the fall
Applications are due Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 5:00pm ET
AAPD will have an information session to learn more about the program and application. The information session will be Tuesday, January 14, 2025 from 4:00pm – 5:00pm ET. CART and ASL will be provided. The session will be recorded and available on the AAPD website. Please email internships@aapd.com with any questions or accommodation requests.
Fall Internship Application and Frequently Asked Questions
Who Can Apply?
To be a fall intern you must:
- Identify as a person with a disability
- Be a current student or recent graduate of a U.S. based university or program (see below)
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent
We often get questions about who can apply, so below is some additional information about the requirements:
- You will not be required to share your specific disability or provide any documentation. You just need to identify as a person with a disability
- A recent graduate is anyone who has graduated from an educational setting or a skills-based program in the last five years. For Fall 2025, this includes anyone who graduated Fall 2020 or later
- U.S. citizenship is not required for our program. It may be required for specific placement sites. However you must have the required work authorization documents
- You do not need to be a traditional degree-seeking college student. A U.S. based school or program could include a university, a community or technical college, a skills-based transition program, a non-degree seeking inclusive college program, an apprenticeship or trade school
AAPD is committed to cultivating a diverse cohort of interns. We select interns who demonstrate their passion and vision of contributing to an inclusive workforce. In order to create gainful employment opportunities for people with disabilities, we recognize the importance of selecting a class of interns that reflect the diversity of our community. We strongly encourage individuals from historically excluded groups to apply.
If you have a question about if you are able to apply, please email info@aapd.com or call (202) 521-4316.
How Do I Apply?
You can view the entire application in our Fall Application Google document. The official application must be submitted through the SurveyMonkey application link.
You must submit:
- Applicant information
- Internship Placement Preference
- Essays
- Resume
- Two (2) References
- At least one of which is a professional reference
- References will only be contacted in the event a reference check is needed later in the process. In that event, references will receive an email from internships@aapd.com
If the online application is not accessible or you would like to request a disability accommodation to fill out the application, please contact us at info@aapd.com or call (202) 521-4316.
Placement Sites
AAPD’s Internship placements fall into the following categories:
- Congressional offices: Current Representative or Senator’s office in U.S. Congress
- Federal agency: Government organizations that direct policy, programs, and resources at the national level.
- Nonprofit: Organizations that typically use its funds for the community to further a social cause or advocate for a shared point of view rather than using the funds internally
- For-profit: Private sector companies that have an interest in disability inclusion
We work closely with interns to find the best placement site match based on their career goals and preferences. View AAPD’s Placement Site Overview to learn more about our past partners and potential new placement sites.
Intern Expectations
- Interns will work 15 hours a week
- Interns will attend AAPD-sponsored activities, including the Disability Advocacy Certificate Program every week. We are planning to host the certificate program classes bi-weekly (every other week) on Fridays from 12-3pm ET
- Interns will be good communicators throughout the program. We will use technology like Google, Zoom, and email to communicate
- Interns will attend a kickoff call on April 4, 2025 from 3-4pm ET and orientation on August 24, 2025 from 12-4pm ET
- Interns have the option to attend an in-person gathering in Washington, D.C. during the week of July 21, 2025
- Interns will follow the Code of Conduct and Community Guidelines
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Do I get to choose my internship?
A: AAPD will strive to place all interns with a placement site that matches their career goals and preferences, but AAPD has the final decision on all placement sites.
Q: What is a placement site and why does it matter?
A: A placement site is where an intern will work full-time during the summer. It can be at a federal agency, congressional office, not-for-profit organization, or for-profit organization.
Q: Can I choose my placement site?
A: AAPD will strive to place all interns with a placement site that matches their career goals and preferences, but AAPD has the final decision on all placement sites.
Q: What if I want to be placed in a specific Congressional office or only in Congressional offices of a specific political party?
A: Since AAPD is a nonpartisan organization with many relationships with Congressional offices, we cannot guarantee a specific Congress person and/or placement with a member of a specific party. AAPD places interns in both Republican and Democratic offices.
Q: What is a skills-based program?
A: A skills-based program combines learning and job training to help prepare you for a career. AAPD requires that the skills based program be from an accredited institution or government agency. An accredited program is a program that has been checked in detail to make sure it is good quality and meets high standards. Some examples of skills-based programs are apprenticeships, transition programs, or inclusive college programs.
Q: I am an International student studying in the U.S., can I apply for the internship program?
A: Yes, international students can apply if they have the required work authorization documents. Please note that some of our placement sites (especially federal agencies and Congressional placement) require U.S. citizenship.
Q: How much do fall interns get paid?
A: In Fall 2024, AAPD interns received a stipend of $3,780 equating to $18/hour for 15 hours a week for 14 weeks. In Fall 2025, the stipend will be at least $3,780.
Q: I have questions about the Disability Advocacy Certificate Program?
A: Please visit our Certificate Program page to learn more. For fall interns, the Certificate Program will meet every other week for 3 hours.
Q: Do I have to pay for my travel and hotel for the in-person gathering?
A: No. AAPD will pay for your travel and hotel if you would like to join in-person for the gathering.
Q: I have more questions, where can I get more information?
A: You can email info@aapd.com or call (202)-521-4316.
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