AAPD Summer Internship Program
A Great Experience for People with Disabilities
Alex Watters became a C5-C6 quadriplegic when he was 18 years old after a driving accident. After acquiring his disability, Alex was nervous about the future and the chances he would have to be a contributing member of society. Through the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) Summer Internship Program, Alex has received the opportunity to excel and play an important role at the U.S. Department of Education (US DOE).
“I am so grateful to AAPD for giving me the opportunity to experience an internship at USDOE” says Alex. “The experience I gained and the confidence it instilled reassures me that people with disabilities can do anything”.
Alex is one of twenty-eight undergraduate, graduate, law students and recent graduates with disabilities from across the country who had the opportunity to participate in the program thanks to generous support from the Wal-Mart Foundation, the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation and The HSC Foundation. This ten-week experience gives interns the opportunity to gain invaluable hands-on experience in a wide range of policy jobs on Capitol Hill, in federal agencies, and at other Washington, DC organizations. Interns also receive a stipend travel to and from DC, and fully accessible housing.
“These interns represent a new generation of leaders in the disability community who are ready to take up the work of equal rights. They are here because they know that it’s time to make a difference — and they will” says Mark Perriello, President and CEO of AAPD.
For more information about the program visit AAPD.
The Marriott Foundation: A Global Best Practice
Bridges from School to Work recently teamed up with Marriott to further develop relations in an effort to introduce more youth with disabilities to the hospitality industry
Marriott has a long history of hiring people with disabilities. Long before the signing of the Americans with Disability Act in 1990, Marriott knew the benefits of matching the right person to the right job, emphasizing ability, not disability. this success, in part, was the inspiration behind the establishment in 1989 of the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities and the creation and operation of Bridges from School to Work, a program which places young people with disabilities who have recently exited, or are preparing to exit, high school in jobs with local employers. Over the years, Bridges has assisted more than 12,500 youth secure placement into competitive positions, and Marriott is one of more than 3,500 employers hiring Bridges these youth.
Foundation and Marriott staff collaborated on developing a process that leads youth through the online application for open positions, and depending on the outcome, to a an interview at a Marriott property. Goals developed for the process center on interviews, not hires, recognizing that Marriott, like every employer, will want to hire the right person for the job.
“We knew setting hiring goals was the wrong approach, but we also knew that if Bridges youth, regardless of disability, were given a shot at a face-to-face interview, they would shine” says Foundation Executive Director, Tad Asbury. Bridges staff work closely with the youth throughout their career development and job seeking process, paying particular attention, in this case, on the interview. At the midpoint in the year, more than a quarter of the youth interviewed have been hired into competitive positions at Marriott hotels, accepting entry level positions in banquet and catering, housekeeping, operation and valet.
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