American Association of People with Disabilities

Oh hey, we've revamped our blog! AAPD's blog has always been a way for us to showcase our work, explore new ideas, and connect with our community. The core of our blog has always been, and will continue to be, making sure that the voices of people with disabilities are heard. What is changing is our expanded focus. We're blending the personal and political with our new Editorial Manager Naomi Hess at the helm! New guest writers are expanding the diversity of disabled experiences and perspectives we feature on the AAPD blog. As Naomi says in her post: "Bloggers will benefit from this program by adding published work to their portfolio and developing skills in sharing their stories. All disabled people are welcome, and our guest blog program focuses on uplifting the voices of people with disabilities who are also members of other marginalized communities. Some bloggers will be disabled activists who already have a following, and some will be emerging leaders whom you may read about for the first time through their blog." We've got so many exciting pieces that we can't wait for you to read. Sometime soon, we will open the blog to public submissions. In the meantime, we hope you'll enjoy all of our great new pieces from members of the AAPD community (and please, give us your feedback!) You can meet Naomi and check out our blog at: https://lnkd.in/eFjTXsq4! Happy reading! 💻 📰 ID: A photo of Naomi sitting on a purple background that looks like lined paper. Above the photo are the words "New blog program led by Naomi Hess", made to look like a headline being proofread, with the word "New" crossed out, blog and program having underlined first letters, and program circled.

AAPD President and CEO Maria Town will be in-person presenting at the Disability Resource Network's State of Disability. Maria will deliver a national-level update on disability issues like economic security, technology, voting and civic engagement, employment, and legislation. Participants can come in-person in Huntsville, Alabama, or can register to get the Zoom link. The event starts August 27 at 10am CT. Register at: https://lnkd.in/eueXsSmc ID: Poster with information about the event that matches what is in the post and the link, with a photo of Maria Town smiling on the right side of the image. It says "State of Disability" on top.

This attack on democracy would disproportionately harm more than 40 million disabled voters. Disabled Americans already face significant barriers at the ballot box — we need accessible voting options to fully participate in our democracy. Read our full statement 👉 https://lnkd.in/e3zta_bP ID 1: AAPD strongly condemns President Trump's announcement that he hopes to end vote-by-mail and limit the types of voting machines that can be used ahead of the 2026 elections. ID 2: This is an attack on democracy, free and fair elections, and it disproportionately harms voters with disabilities. ID 3: The President does NOT have the constitutional authority to change election laws - this power is explicitly given to the states and Congress.

On Wednesday, August 13, disabled people and allies gathered to celebrate the release of a quarter depicting Stacey Park Milbern, a leader of the disability justice movement. She is the 19th woman honored as part of the American Women Quarters Program, which celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women throughout American history. At the event, Stacey's friends and family spoke about her lasting impact and what this quarter means to the disability community. AAPD was proud to be part of this meaningful celebration, along with our fellow program partners United States Mint, Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Access Smithsonian, Asian Pacific American Center, and Disability Cultural Center at Georgetown University. https://lnkd.in/egDyZaeU

Stacey's quarter unveiling celebration event is happening very soon, tonight at 6 PM ET! You can tune in and watch the event live on YouTube at this link: https://lnkd.in/eseVeCwf

This week, we will gather at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to mark the unveiling of a new quarter featuring Disability Justice advocate Stacey Park Milbern. Stacey Park Milbern was a queer disabled Korean-American activist, writer, speaker, and movement organizer whose work and leadership helped make the modern Disability Justice movement what it is today. Among many things, Stacey was a Disability Justice movement leader, a boba enthusiast, an AAPD Summer Internship Program alumnus, and is now a disabled ancestor. #StaceyTaughtUs how to fight for one another, take care of one another, and to center the leadership and experiences of disabled people of color, women, queer, and trans folks. Stacey championed the belief that every one of us is inherently worthy and deserving of care, dignity, love, and community. She embodied the idea that when systems fail us, disabled people can show up for one another in community. Until she died, Stacey was organizing from her hospital bed, facilitating mutual aid, networks of care, and coordinating supplies to protect medically vulnerable disabled people during the first few weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, on the second anniversary of her death and what would have been Stacey’s 35th birthday, AAPD collaborated with Google to honor Stacey through an exhibit called “In Her Own Words: Remembering and Honoring Stacey Park Milbern.” As we prepare to honor Stacey next week, we invite you to learn more about her and the values that drove her work. Read AAPD’s 2022 tribute to Stacey and get the link to register for tickets to or livestream the Smithsonian event on August 13 at 6 PM ET here: https://lnkd.in/erSASzne AAPD is proud to co-sponsor this event with the United States Mint, National Museum of American History, the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, Access Smithsonian, Asian Pacific American Center, and the Disability Cultural Center at Georgetown University — we hope you will join us! CART captioning, ASL interpretation, masks and audio descriptive devices will be provided. Register for the event on Eventbrite: https://lnkd.in/eDGZ-kZP

Stacey Park Milbern was a fierce advocate, writer, and visionary leader in the disability justice movement. As a queer, Korean American woman living with muscular dystrophy, she brought an intersectional lens to disability rights and centered voices that are all too often left out of the narrative. She co-founded the Disability Justice Movement (in fact, she helped coin the term!), reminding the world that accessibility must be intersectional. Her work was rooted in care, community, and collective liberation — not charity. Stacey is also a 2007 alumna of the AAPD Internship Program. From organizing grassroots mutual aid during crises to challenging ableism in healthcare and policy, Stacey's legacy is eternal. The US Mint will be putting Stacey on a quarter as part of the American Women Quarters program to honor the life she lived. 💜 Please join us at an event honoring her at the National Smithsonian Museum of American History: https://lnkd.in/eDGZ-kZP. ID: A stylized graphic of Stacey Park Milbern featuring a photo of her in black-and-white on the left side inside and the quarter featuring her likeness on the right.

AAPD is hiring a full-time Tech Policy Associate. Details below: ✅Format: Hybrid* (i.e., some in-person work required) ✅ Location: Washington, DC (with occasional travel) ✅Expected Start Date: immediately ✅Salary: $60,000 - $75,000 The Technology Policy team at the American Association of People with Disabilities addresses critical issues at the intersection of technology policy and disability rights. Our work spans a wide range of areas, including digital accessibility, assistive technology, telecommunications and broadband access, data privacy, artificial intelligence (AI), and emerging technologies. We advocate for a safer and more inclusive internet for people with disabilities, engage in shaping regulations around emerging technologies, and build coalitions with individuals and organizations to promote equitable tech policy. See full details and apply by the August 5 priority deadline at: https://lnkd.in/e_y-Nhyg ID: Black text on a light blue background that says AAPD is hiring a tech policy associate, hybrid rolling bases with an August 5 priority deadline.

35 years ago today, on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. AAPD co-founder and disability rights activist Justin Dart was by his side on the White House lawn as President Bush declared, "Let the shameful wall of exclusion come tumbling down." 35 years later, the shameful wall of exclusion still exists, and is being built higher by policies and executive orders that force disabled people into institutions, take away our healthcare, and protect employers who discriminate against us. The current attack on disability rights makes celebrating the ADA today...complicated. But celebrating the ADA's passage reminds us that the dedication and persistence of disabled Americans have changed this country time and again. Disability advocacy is powerful. Our community is powerful. And in this moment, our power is needed more than ever. We are so grateful for the ADA and the advocates who fought for it. We will honor and continue their legacy by ensuring the ADA is the floor, not the ceiling, of disability inclusion and civil rights. In the words of legendary disabled advocate Anita Cameron, "Civil rights aren't given. You have to fight to get them, and then fight to keep them." We'll be fighting alongside you for the next 35 years and beyond, #DisCo - Happy #ADA35! #DisabilityAdvocate Image description in alt-text and comments.

A huge thank you to Wells Fargo for being the Presenting Partner for our ADA35 Celebration Event this week, which AAPD co-hosted with the National Council on Independent Living! Your sponsorship and commitment to inclusion made an evening of much-needed celebration and Disability Joy possible. Image description: A teal and purple gradient background has an image of the Wells Fargo logo and says in white text, "Thank you to our ADA35 Celebration Presenting Partner Wells Fargo." The AAPD logo is in the bottom right corner.