AAPD

Today kicks off our 3rd annual Disability Power on the Hill! Disability Power on the Hill is a time when disability advocates from around the country gather together on Capitol Hill to discuss important issues facing disabled Americans with their representatives in Congress. These issues include fully funding IDEA and increasing the asset limit for people who receive SSI. It’s one of our most ambitious events of the year, and we’re so excited to give a platform to so many amazing activists. #DisabilityPower26 ID: An outline of the US Capitol. AAPD. The words Disability Power on the Hill framed by the colors of the disability pride flag. Beneath that, the words "Disabled, Powerful, Proud. Third Annual Disability Power on The Hill"

You have until May 29th to apply for AAPD's 2026 Tony Coelho Media Scholarship! The Tony Coelho Media Scholarship will once again offer eight (8) scholarships to be used in the Fall semester of 2026.  Each recipient will receive $5,625 to help cover the cost of education at their college or university. High school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate students with disabilities who are pursuing careers in media, communications, or entertainment industries that will be enrolled in college or a university during the Fall of 2026 are eligible. This scholarship honors Tony Coelho, a former U.S. Congressman from California, who was the primary author and sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Do you know a student who sounds like a great fit? Share this post with them! 📲 Are you a student looking to pursue a career in media, communications, or entertainment? Apply by May 29, 2024 at 5PM ET. ow.ly/qkuO50YV9hk ID: Image of text, applications for the Tony Coelho Media Scholarship are still open. Apply by May 29 at 5 PM ET.

Huge win for disability rights! Indiana’s Attorney General dropped out of the Texas v. Kennedy case which would protect people with disabilities from discrimination in health care and human services. Advocacy matters. This lawsuit started with 17 states, and now it’s down to only 8. A big thank you to The Arc of Indiana for their local advocacy! arcind.org/news/ag-rokita…

A huge thank you to @WellsFargo for being the co-presenting partner for our 2026 National Community Event. Your commitment to inclusion helped make our event possible. ID: Colorful hands reaching inward around a yellow sunburst with text thanking Wells Fargo as co-presenting partner of the 2026 AAPD National Community Event.

At the AAPD National Community Event happening tonight at 6:30PM ET, you will hear from disabled grassroots activists fighting for voting access for the disability community nationwide. Our panel session will be hosted by REV UP (Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!). REV UP’s mission is to build the power of the disability vote through increasing civic engagement in the disability community and improving the accessibility of elections. This panel will feature two leaders in the REV UP community: Rasheta Bunting, President and Founder of One Heart, One Vision, Vice President of the National Federation of the Blind of New York State, co-lead of REV UP NY and Laura Power, REV UP coordinator for REV UP Pennsylvania. There is still time to get a ticket if you haven't already: ow.ly/49ap50YRM2H ID: Promo image for the AAPD National Community Event featuring photos of Rasheta Bunting and Laura Power on a bright yellow background, the second image is a similar promo with the time of the event.

Our National Community Event is almost here! If you haven't gotten your ticket yet, you can do so at: ow.ly/xnPX50YR9Ls This virtual event is a celebration of our community. This year's theme is Action in Adversity, and there this panel is the perfect example of what that means. Medicaid is changing, and we want our community to be ready for these changes. During the National Community Event, disability leaders Alex Watters and Jennifer Mathis will discuss what changes are coming to Medicaid and what people with disabilities can do to maintain their healthcare and protect Medicaid. This panel will cover upcoming work requirements, administrative changes and other threats to Medicaid at both the federal and state levels. Alex Watters is a disability advocate, former city councilmember in Sioux City, IA, and an AAPD Intern Alum. Jennifer Mathis is an AAPD Board Member and the Deputy Director of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. ID: Promotional image for the 2026 AAPD National Community Event featuring a Medicaid Panel with speakers Alex Watters and Jennifer Mathis.

In the last year, the Department of Health and Human Services made many dangerous changes. These changes hurt public health in the US, especially for autistic people. Our new resource talks about HHS, Secretary Kennedy, and what needs to be done. Read the full report, co-authored with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network at: ow.ly/tvze50YR7JF IDs: Four graphics with a colored timeline motif throughout. The first one says "Autism, HHS, and Public Health". The second says "Unpacking RFK's year in misinformation". The third is a quote from the report about vaccines, and the fourth says "complete with a timeline of how we got here."

Join the American Association of People with Disabilities (that's us!) for our 2026 National Community Event on Wednesday, April 29th at 6:30 PM ET! This annual, virtual event brings together the disability community and our allies from across the country to honor our collective progress, reflect on the challenges ahead, and celebrate disability culture. Throughout the evening, we will highlight the power of community and provide opportunities to take action together to defend and advance disability rights. Get your ticket: ow.ly/J40P50YQK0v ID: Colorful hands reaching inward around text announcing that the 2026 AAPD National Community Event is happening in two days.

During our National Community Event, we're taking time to honor two extremely powerful disability community members who became ancestors within the last year. Alice Wong was a fierce believer in disability rights and justice. She dedicated her energy amplifying the voices and experiences of the disabled community. Among her many accomplishments, Alice was an AAPD Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Awardee. She used the Award funds to help build the Disability Visibility Project. Bob Kafka was a long-time leader in ADAPT who was instrumental in the fight for accessible transportation and community integration. He was also the founder of REV UP, which stands for Register, Educate, Vote, Use your Power! Over the past 10 years, in part due to Bob's leadership and vision, REV UP has a presence in 48 states and is building the power of the disability vote. We miss them dearly, and their impact on our community cannot be overstated. Get tickets: eventbrite.com/e/2026-aapd-na… ID: Graphic showcasing out National Community Event honoring the memories of Alice Wong and Bob Kafka.

AAPD’s 2026 National Community Event coming up, next Wednesday at 6:30 PM ET! This event celebrates the strength of the disability community, uplifts the progress we have made, and discusses how we can take collective action to protect disability rights. We're so excited to announce that AAPD's National Community Event will include a panel about authentic disability representation in the media. We highlight the hit HBO Max show The Pitt, which has been groundbreaking in its commitment to inclusive storytelling. Through storylines about supported decision-making, Medicaid cuts, neurodivergence, and more, The Pitt excels at depicting the complexity of disability in a nuanced and accurate manner.  Disability representation in the media and effective policy change are deeply connected to each other. Thoughtful disability representation makes a difference by altering cultural narratives surrounding disability. In order for policy and systems change to meaningfully happen, culture change has to occur as well.  Our panelists will discuss stories on The Pitt related to disability and how other creatives can portray disability authentically. The panel will feature: R. Scott Gemmill creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the HBO Max medical drama The Pitt and Tal Anderson, autistic actress who plays Becca King on the show It will be also be moderated by Eric Garcia, an autistic journalist and author of We’re Not Broken: Changing The Autism Conversation. The National Community Event is completely free, virtual, and open to all members of the disability community and our allies. Reserve your spot now at this link to ensure you receive the link to stream at home: ow.ly/TCIB50YPuRh ID: Graphic highlighting the National Community Event featuring headshots of R. Scott Gemmill, Eric Michael Garcia, and Tal Anderson.

Delaying digital accessibility is unacceptable. It’s that simple. The Department of Justice just issued an interim final rule that delays enforcement of website and applications for state and local governments. Delaying this deadline undermines timely access to digital services for people with disabilities. We strongly oppose these changes and demand that the Department withdraw the interim final rule and restore the original compliance deadlines. If the Administration wants to make changes to rules, they should use the notice and comment process in order to hear from impacted communities. Read our full statement: ow.ly/XRUw50YOzpf ID: Images of text containing the information in the post.

We're hiring for two temporary positions! One is remote, and one is in-person. Both roles will assist AAPD in reaching people for a needs assessment that will inform the creation of a new program. This is a great opportunity to help our organization reach the disability community in new ways. The Outreach Canvassers are temporary, part-time roles as an independent contractor from May - August 2026. We will hire up to 20 canvassers across the United States. The application has a priority deadline of May 1. AAPD is looking for advocates and organizers who want to be part of the work of our needs assessment team! Outreach canvassers will support AAPD in disseminating a survey to help inform the creation of a new program. We will hire up to 20 canvassers across the United States. Canvassers will work for 15-20 hours, including in-person canvassing and preparation tasks. In-person canvassing will take place primarily during the first three weeks of the survey promotion. Outreach Canvassers are paid $25/hours. The Focus Group Facilitators are temporary, part-time, remote roles from June - September 2026. We will hire up to 5 focus group facilitators. The application has a priority deadline of May 8. Community focus group facilitators will support AAPD in conducting focus groups to help inform the creation of a new program at AAPD. The new program is for people with different health conditions, disabilities, and aging or changing bodies/minds. Specifically, we want to reach people who AAPD hasn’t typically engaged in the past, including people who might not identify as disabled but have long-term conditions that impact them. Focus group facilitators are paid $3000-$3500, depending on how many groups they facilitate. Head to the link in our bio to learn more and apply! Head to this link to learn more and apply: ats.rippling.com/aapd-jobs/jobs ID: Two teal graphics list the roles and share the information highlighted in the caption.

You like us, you really like us! AAPD received a Webby award nomination for our Protect Medicaid! campaign last summer. Please vote for us by April 16! ow.ly/uoxc50YIsw9 ID: Stylized graphic showcasing our entry for the Webby's on a laptop screen. In large, all uppercase text above the laptop are the words "VOTE FOR US".

Tony Coelho Media Scholarship alum Cassidy Huff wrote a blog about the importance of disability representation in the film industry. During a recent commercial shoot, Cassidy experienced true inclusion that showed what's possible when accessibility is prioritized. Read her full blog: ow.ly/FcHA50YHg1N ID: Photo of Cassidy Huff with an excerpt from the full blog below. A smiling blonde woman wearing black-framed glasses and a white off-the-shoulder top stands outdoors in soft natural light, with greenery blurred in the background

AAPD is hiring a traveling Executive Assistant to the President and CEO! The Executive Assistant will travel with and support the President & CEO in achieving AAPD's strategic goals. Apps are accepted until April 30 at 11:59 PM ET. Learn more and apply: ow.ly/Qrm850YGufR

Are you a disabled student interested in a career in media, communications, or entertainment? Applications for AAPD's 2026 Tony Coelho Media Scholarship are now open until May 29 at 5 PM ET! Go to our website to learn more: aapd.com/tony-coelho-me…

AAPD is hiring a Data & CRM Manager to lead how we manage and use data to support our communications and engagement work. In this role, you’ll manage our CRM (EveryAction), keep our data accurate and organized, and turn data into clear insights that help teams make decisions. You’ll also help set standards for how we collect and use data, support system updates and connections, and improve how easy it is for teams to access and use data. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority for consideration given to applications based on when they are received. Apply at: ow.ly/Q5lj50YCO63 ID: Navy text on a blue background showing job details, including an $85,000 to $100,000 salary.

On March 31, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.” This EO will make voting by mail more difficult and restrict who can vote by mail.                          AAPD is highly concerned that if any aspects of this EO go into effect, voters with disabilities and other marginalized communities will be disproportionately harmed. Already, disabled voters face increased challenges in accessing their right to vote because of policies and practices that make voting difficult. For many people with disabilities, voting by mail is the only way they can participate in elections. An attack on vote by mail is an attack on disabled voters. Fewer people voting is not good for democracy. Voting should be easy and accessible for all eligible voters. ID: White text on a dark blue background that says "Attacks on vote by mail are attacks on voters with disabilities."

The SAVE Act and related legislation would change voter registration, mail voting, and voter roll processes. For disabled people who already face barriers, these changes could make voting less accessible. Make your voice heard on these bills: ow.ly/PpiN50Yw2qi #AccessibleVoting #REVUP

Fall Internship Program alum Maddox O'Rourke recently participated in Headache on the Hill, a lobbying event by the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy. Maddox wrote a blog post for AAPD about his experience with headache disorders and the importance of community advocacy. Read his full blog: aapd.com/headache-on-th… ID: A photo of Maddox, a white man with glasses and short brown hair wearing a purple and blue patterned button down shirt and shorts, smiling and sitting on a rock in front of the Hudson River with a quote from his blog beneath the photo. "At Headache on the Hill, I saw firsthand that when disabled people come together, we are powerful. Our voices command attention and move hearts and minds. Sharing my story built my confidence as a speaker and strengthened my commitment to advocacy, which guides everything I do."