Fall Internship

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.

For over 20 years, AAPD’s internship programs have placed college students, graduate students, law students, and recent graduates with all types of disabilities in paid internships with Congressional offices, federal agencies, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations. In Fall of 2023, AAPD launched the Fall Internship Program as an expansion to our longstanding Summer Internship Program. Our Fall Internship Program is fully virtual and part-time, which makes it easier for disabled individuals to take part while they are in school or while they are balancing other work commitments.

The 2026 Fall Internship Application

The 2026 AAPD Fall Internship Program is 14 weeks long, running from August 31 to December 4, 2026. Interns will work part-time, virtually, for 15 hours a week. As part of the 2026 Fall Internship Program, interns will:

• Attend a virtual kickoff call on April 8, 2026
• Attend an optional in-person gathering in Washington D.C. during the week of July 20, 2026
• Participate in a virtual orientation on Sunday, August 23, 2026 from 12:00 – 4:00 PM ET with breaks.
• Participate in weekly community events on Fridays between 12:00 – 3:00 PM ET.
• Connect one-on-one with a virtual mentor.

Applications for the Fall 2026 cohort are closed. Applications for the Fall 2027 cohort will open in winter 2026.

AAPD held an information session on Thursday, January 8, 2026 for people who are interested in applying to the 2026 AAPD Fall Internship. The information session recording, slides, transcript, and answers to FAQs can be accessed below.

Watch Info Session

Read The Transcript

View The Slideshow

Read Frequently Asked Questions

Fall Internship Application and Frequently Asked Questions

Who Can Apply?

To be an AAPD 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
• 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 2026, this includes anyone who graduated Fall 2021 or later
• 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 To Apply?

You can view the entire application in our Fall Application Google document.

You must submit your application through the online portal. It will include:

• Applicant information
• Internship Placement Preference
• Essays
• Resume

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 agencies: Government organizations that direct policy, programs, and resources at the national level.
• Non-profit: 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 remotely at their placement site.
• Interns will attend AAPD-sponsored activities, including weekly community events on Fridays from 12:00 – 3:00 PM ET.
• Interns will be good communicators throughout the program. We will use platforms like Google, Zoom, Slack, and email to communicate
• Interns will attend a kickoff call on April 8 at 3:00 PM ET and orientation on August 23, 2026 from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET.
• Interns have the option to attend an in-person gathering in Washington, D.C. during the week of July 20th, 2026.
• Interns will follow the Code of Conduct and Community Guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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 Fall. 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