Founded in 1995, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a left-of-center nonprofit aimed at expanding the economic and political leverage of Americans with disabilities through programmatic and advocacy efforts. It partnered with left-of-center advocacy and “civic engagement” organizations including Alliance for Justice, Center for American Progress, and Color of Change on its 2020 Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program.

Programs

AAPD coordinates “Disability Mentoring Day” (DMD), an annual event in October that occurs during the National Disability Employment Awareness Month to promote career development for students and job-seekers with disabilities. ¹ DMD was created in 1999 through a career development initiative for Americans with disabilities under President Bill Clinton’s administration. ²

AAPD also organizes REV UP, a campaign working to foster civic engagement amongst disabled Americans by working with local and national coalitions to expand access to voting for Americans with disabilities. ³ AAPD also provides the Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program. The program provides a $1,500 stipend for young, black disabled advocates who commit to promoting voter participation. ⁴ Partner organizations for the 2020 Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program included the left-of-center Alliance for Justice, Center for American Progress, and Color of Change. ⁵

In a partnership with “Disability:IN,” AAPD created the Disability Equality Index (DEI), a benchmarking tool for businesses to gauge internal disability inclusion practices. Results from the index are published in an annual report titled “DEI Best Places to Work.” ⁶

Finance

The organization’s tax returns for 2018 reported more than $1.8 million in total revenue and more than $1.6 million in total expenses. In the previous year, AAPD reported over $1.4 million in total revenue and more than $1.3 million in total expenses. ⁷ In 2018, AADP provided a $25,000 grant to the Disability Action Center of Georgia and an $18,000 grant to Disability Rights Washington. ⁸

AAPD works with a number of corporate sponsors including American Airlines, AT&T, Comcast, JPMorgan Chase, National Structured Settlements Trade Association, Northrop Grumman, and Walmart. ⁹¹⁰

Leadership

The AAPD board chair is Ted Kennedy, Jr.,¹¹ son of former Democratic U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy. He is a health care and life sciences attorney at Epstein Becker and Green and was a Democratic State Senator in Connecticut from 2015-2019. ¹²

Joyce Bender serves as the vice chair of AAPD’s board¹³ and is the president and CEO of Bender Consulting, an executive search firm. She is a member of a number of boards including the Pennsylvania Disability Rights Network, Epilepsy Foundation of Western/Central Pennsylvania, Variety the Children’s Charity of Pittsburgh, and the Advisors for the Homeless Children’s Education Fund. ¹⁴

Maria Town serves as the president and CEO of AAPD. Previously, she served as the director of the City of Houston Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. Town also served in President Barack Obama’s administration as the senior associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. ¹⁵

1. “Disability Mentoring Day.” AAPD. Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.aapd.com/disability-mentoring-day/.
2. “Supporting Americans with Disabilities.” National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, October 16, 1999. https://clintonwhitehouse4.archives.gov/WH/Accomplishments/ac799.html.
3. “REV UP Campaign.” AAPD. Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.aapd.com/advocacy/voting/.
4. “Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program.” AAPD. Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.aapd.com/advocacy/voting/hamerprogram/.
5. “Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program.” AAPD. Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.aapd.com/advocacy/voting/hamerprogram/.
6. “Disability Equality Index.” AAPD. Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.aapd.com/disability-equality-index/.
7. American Association of People with Disabilities, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018
8. American Association of People with Disabilities, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018
9. “REV UP Campaign.” AAPD. Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.aapd.com/advocacy/voting/.
10. “About.” AAPD. Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.aapd.com/about/.
11. “Our Board.” AAPD. Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.aapd.com/about/our-board/.
12. “Biography: Edward M. Kennedy, Jr.” Epstein Becker & Green. Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.ebglaw.com/edward-m-kennedy-jr/.
13. “Our Board.” AAPD. Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.aapd.com/about/our-board/.
14. “Joyce Bender Highlights.” Joyce Bender Highlights | Bender Consulting Services. Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.benderconsult.com/about-us/joyce-bender-highlights.
15. “Maria Town, President and CEO.” AAPD. Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.aapd.com/about/maria-town/.