Disability Data Fellow

About the role

• Position Title: AAPD Disability Data Fellow
• Position level: Fellow
• Job type: full-time, temporary
• Term: Fixed-term fellowship (12 months, with possibility of extension based on funding availability)
• Reports to: Technology Policy Director
• Location: Remote 
• Expected Start Date: immediately
• Salary: $68,000

AAPD is seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Disability Data Fellow to support an initiative to preserve and expand access to disability data in the United States.

AAPD has partnered with Microsoft to establish a Disability Data Archive, an initiative focused on collating, preserving, and publishing disability-related datasets from federal and state agencies. The initiative aims to build a public-facing portal that provides open-source disability data for a broad range of users, including researchers, policymakers, advocates, technologists, journalists, and disabled individuals. A key priority of this initiative is identifying and preserving datasets that have been removed from public access or are at risk of being removed.

Grounded in principles of disability justice and participatory data practices, this initiative seeks to advance community ownership and stewardship of disability data. Beyond preserving datasets, the initiative also aims to ensure that disability data remains accessible, transparent, and responsive to the needs and priorities of disabled people and the broader disability community.

The Disability Data Archive will create opportunities for meaningful community engagement, including identifying priority datasets, informing archive design and accessibility, and shaping approaches to data preservation and dissemination. The Fellow will contribute to a project that values collaboration with disabled individuals, advocates, researchers, and community organizations as key partners in the responsible stewardship of disability data.

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual interested in disability policy, data governance, public-interest technology, digital preservation, and open data.

What you'll do

• The Fellow will support the development and maintenance of AAPD’s Disability Data Archive through activities including:
• Identifying, sourcing, and cataloging disability-related datasets from federal, state, and other public sources
• Monitoring datasets that may be vulnerable to removal, alteration, or reduced accessibility and supporting preservation efforts
• Cleaning, standardizing, and organizing datasets for publication and long-term accessibility
• Developing metadata, documentation, and data dictionaries to improve usability and transparency
• Developing the architecture for publication of datasets to a public-facing archive and open-data portal
• Conducting quality assurance checks to ensure data integrity and consistency
• Assisting with literature reviews, environmental scans, and research related to disability data ecosystems and public-sector data practices
• Collaborating with AAPD and Microsoft staff, researchers, and external stakeholders to inform archive priorities and workflows
• Supporting the development of accessible and user-centered approaches to disability data dissemination
• Contributing to reports, presentations, and written materials related to the initiative

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience working on disability rights and justice
• Strong interest in disability policy, disability rights, public-interest technology, data governance, archival work, or related fields

• Experience working with data management in a professional, academic, advocacy, or research setting
• Experience with development and/or maintenance of SQL cloud database infrastructure, preferably using Microsoft Azure
• Experience in programming, especially in SQL, Python, C#, and JavaScript
• Experience with advanced data management applications of Excel
• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple projects and work independently in a fast-paced environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Commitment to disability inclusion, accessibility, and equity

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with web crawling, web scraping, or automated data collection tools for identifying and preserving publicly available datasets
• Familiarity with version control systems and collaborative repositories, particularly GitHub, including documentation and data-sharing workflows
• Familiarity with open data practices, digital archiving, public-sector data, or data preservation efforts
• Experience with metadata standards, documentation, data cataloging, or database management
• Knowledge of disability policy, disability research, or disability community issues
• Experience supporting accessible and user-centered digital products or platforms
• Lived experience with disability is strongly encouraged

What You'll Gain

The Fellow will gain hands-on experience at the intersection of disability rights, technology policy, data governance, and open-source infrastructure. This fellowship offers a unique opportunity to help shape a national disability data resource while working alongside leaders in disability advocacy, technology, and public-interest innovation.

The Fellow will also gain firsthand experience contributing to a community-driven effort focused on disability data collection, preservation, and accessibility. Through this role, the Fellow will have opportunities to receive mentorship from leaders across the disability, policy, and technology sectors, while contributing to the growing field of technology policy and disability justice.

Compensation and Benefits

AAPD will provide the following compensation and benefits for this fellowship:

• Annual salary of $68,000 for the duration of the fellowship term
• Fixed monthly stipend towards health  insurance contribution 
• AAPD-observed holidays, sick leave, and generous PTO in accordance with organizational policies

How To Apply

Please submit a resume, cover letter, and work sample through AAPD’s application portal.

Relevant work samples may include data repositories or archives with a brief explanation of the nature and extent of the applicant’s work on these, code repositories to which the applicant was a primary or sole contributor with documentation, or similar materials. Work samples should demonstrate relevant experience in areas such as data archiving, database management and development, data cleaning and analysis, or data preservation.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority consideration given to applications received by Monday, June 22, 2026.

Recruitment Process

Selected candidates will participate in a multi-stage recruitment process, which may include:

• Initial interview to assess qualifications, interests, and overall fit for the fellowship
• Work assessment designed to evaluate relevant analytical, organizational, and/or technical skills
• Final interview with AAPD staff and project leadership