Summer Internship Program

The AAPD Summer Internship Program is a professional and career development opportunity for disabled students and recent graduates to access meaningful employment, gain leadership skills, and connect to the broader disability community.

In 2002, AAPD launched the Summer Internship Program to develop the next generation of leaders with disabilities. For nearly 25 years, we have placed college students, graduate students, law students, and recent graduates with all types of disabilities in paid summer internships with Congressional offices, federal agencies, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations within the Washington, D.C. area. The AAPD Summer Internship Program advances participants’ career opportunities, deepens their leadership skills, and meaningfully connects them to the broader disability community.

Applications for the 2027 AAPD Summer Internship Program are currently closed.

Throughout the summer, AAPD interns will:

• Participate in a one-week orientation to prepare for their internship, meet with the cohort, and learn about the disability rights movement
• Work at their paid internship program Monday – Thursday
• Participate in weekly programmings on Fridays
• Attend events and network on Capitol Hill, conferences, community events, briefings, and more
• Connect one-on-one with a mentor who provides career guidance

AAPD interns are paid a living stipend and transportation to and from Washington, D.C. In-person interns are provided fully accessible housing. Remote interns receive a technology, internet, and a housing stipend if applicable. Through minimizing barriers to participation, we are able to recruit a diverse cohort of interns. As a result, we connect our host employers to talented emerging leaders with disabilities.

Applications for our 2028 Summer Internship Program will open in Fall 2027.

Internship Application Process and FAQs

*Please note: These FAQs were written for the Summer 2027 application process, and some details vary year-to-year. You can find a Google Docs version of these questions here.*

Who can apply?

To be an AAPD summer intern, you must:

• Identify as a person with a disability
• Be a current student or recent graduate of a U.S. based school or program
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent by May 2027

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 Summer 2027, this includes anyone who graduated in May 2022 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.
• In order to be eligible to apply, you must be based in the U.S. or a U.S. territory for the duration of the program.

Within the AAPD Summer Internship, we host a Bobby Silverstein Fellow. The Fellow is still a part of the 2027 summer cohort.

The Fellowship honors Bobby Silverstein’s legacy, particularly his commitment to the disability community through the advancement of landmark legislation that has had a significant and enduring impact on social justice and equality for all. The Fellowship is for an individual with a strong interest in disability issues from a legal standpoint. The Fellow will be a rising junior or higher and participate in person in Washington, DC, and develop a public policy perspective on specific disability issues. More information can be found on the Bobby Silverstein Fellowship webpage.

If you have a question about if you are eligible to apply, please email info@aapd.com or call 202-521-4316.

AAPD is committed to cultivating a diverse class of interns every summer. 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.

How to apply?

You can view the entire Summer 2027 application in our Summer 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 portal 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
• STEM-focused internship: Placed in any sector with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
• Bobby Silverstein Fellowship: Placement at a legal-based organization or law-firm, Congressional office or federal agency that focuses on disability law and policy.

Read AAPD’s Placement Site Overview to learn more about our past partners and potential new placement sites.

Intern Expectations

By participating in the program, AAPD interns will:

• Work full-time four days a week for 32 hours in paid internships with Congressional offices, federa