A group of AAPD interns smile at the camera, gathered outside on a rooftop balcony. The group is a diversity of races and genders, and has a diversity of disabilities. Some members of the group are sitting in wheelchairs, while others are standing.
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is pleased to announce the Summer Internship Program Cohort of 2026.
Nearly 25 years ago, AAPD launched the Summer Internship Program to develop the next generation of leaders with disabilities. AAPD has 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, DC area, and across the country. The AAPD Summer Internship Program advances participants’ career opportunities, deepens their leadership skills, and meaningfully connects them to the broader disability community.
The 2026 Summer Internship Class is:
- Adryana Hutchinson (any pronouns) | Center for Democracy and Technology
- Aisha Paz (she/they) | Science History Institute
- Angelica Vega (she/her) | Mathematica
- Chantsaldulam Undrakhbayar (she/her) | Elevance Health
- Emely Pacheco (she/her) | National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes
- Eniola Olowoyo (she/her) | CEO Commission for Disability Employment
- Hannah Jane Hodge (she/her) | Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
- Juno Quintana (he/him) | Human Rights Campaign
- Kate Parachek (she/her) | GH Disability Law Group
- Katherine Radt (she/her) | U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy
- Khalen Wright (he/him) | National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
- Margaret McKelvey (she/they) | Autistic Self Advocacy Network
- Mari Belle (she/her) | Community Support Advocates
- Rachel Bhagat | The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
- Raven Diaz (she/her) | Center for American Progress
- Russell Adzedu (he/him) | The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement
- Shirley Shabnam | Project LETS
- Sophia Lee-Park (she/her) | National Center for College Students with Disabilities
- Tabatha Gore (she/her) | The NAMED Advocates
You can read the Summer 2026 Interns’ full bios and learn more about them here.
The 2026 AAPD Summer Internship Program would not be possible without the generous support of our partners. Thank you to Arconic Foundation, Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy, Coca-Cola Foundation, Microsoft, Powers Law Firm, and United Airlines for supporting our Summer Internship Program.