Strength in Numbers: The American Association of People with Disabilities

By Joan Leotta

Positive changes for people with disabilities have come about as a result, in large part, of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In 1995, on the fifth anniversary of this landmark legislation, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) was founded to carry out the ideals of the ADA. This national membership organization has been working ever since to promote political and economic empowerment for the more than 56 million people with disabilities in the United States.

AAPD's projects cover every aspect of the ADA's goals for independence—equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. The group dedicates its resources to both large projects of national reach and personal efforts that make it possible for workers to enter and remain in the job market—vehicle ownership and insurance, support for family members who are caretakers, educational reform, and more.

Getting out the Vote

One of AAPD's larger scale efforts is the new Disability Vote Project. AAPD Chief Executive Officer and President Andrew Imparato describes the project as "a national effort to increase political participation by people with disabilities, their family members, and supporters through election reform, voter registration, and get-out-the-vote efforts that target the disability community." The project has three components:

As part of federal election reform efforts, the project will strengthen access requirements for polling places and voting systems so that people with disabilities have equal access to a secret ballot.
Project volunteers are working to increase voter registration among disabled voters by encouraging implementation of the "motor voter" legislation among disability service providers.
Participants are involved in non-partisan voter education and get-out-the-vote efforts for national elections.

Alongside the AAPD's efforts to push for strong access requirements in the election reform bill making its way through Congress, AAPD has initiated litigation in the District of Columbia and Florida to challenge the purchase of inaccessible new voting technology and the ongoing presence of inaccessible polling places in these jurisdictions.

The Disability Vote Project is led by Jim Dickson, who has more than 30 years experience in political organizing. To get involved, contact Adina Topfer at or (202) 955-6114.

Carrying the Light

The seeds for AAPD's recent national efforts were sown in past projects like the 2000 Torch Relay. For that event, which commemorated the tenth anniversary of the ADA, AAPD partnered with Volkswagen of America (see April 2000 Profiles in Excellence) and others. The national relay, which touched 24 US cities and lasted two months, was designed to encourage a renewed commitment among elected officials and ordinary citizens to full participation for people with disabilities in all aspects of community life.

Speaking on the partnership with Volkswagen, Imparato notes, "AAPD's approach to corporate America has been to emphasize the collective buying power and largely untapped talent pool that exists within the cross-disability community. AAPD sees itself as a partner with corporations wishing to reach the disability market, and works with its corporate partners to make the best business case for proactive marketing, hiring, and product design that meets the needs of this diverse community."

In addition to Volkswagon, AAPD partners over the years have included AOL Time Warner, Verizon, Microsoft, Digital Credit Union, Mitsubishi Electric American Corporation, Continental Airlines, Cingular Wireless, IBM, Booz Allen Hamilton, BellSouth, and American Express.

Making a Difference

In other ways, AAPD strives to be a voice to persons with disabilities. Says John Kemp, AAPD Board Chair and co-founder, "Based on surveys and feedback from our membership and our Board members and staff, AAPD has an excellent understanding of most of the issues facing people with disabilities."

An annual rallying event for the organization is the AAPD National Disability Mentoring Day. "Each October," says Imparato, "we use that day as a national effort to expose students and jobseekers with disabilities to mentors who are working in a career or interest to the mentee."

AAPD also conducts recognition and rewards programs for disability leaders and advocates, operates a free disability rights listserv called Justice for All, provides a range of benefits to members, and works in concert with other groups to protect and advance the civil rights of all children and adults with disabilities.

Cooperative efforts with the public and private sectors provide strength to the organization's activities. Says Imparato, "From our Washington DC office, we work with Congress and the Administration to promote public policy that advances the AAPD mission. In recent months, we've been working hard to ensure that federal election reform legislation includes stronger standards for equal access to the polls. AAPD also works with the corporate world and the media to broaden the base of support for disability rights and to build awareness of the large and growing disability market."

Instilling a Sense of Community

The efforts of AAPD and other advocates have paid off already in the 12 years since the passage of the ADA. From Kemp's perspective, the biggest strides for people with disabilities are these: "The disability community feels rightfully included in all aspects of society today, very unlike our group mentality only a few short years ago. Thanks to the ADA; society's responsiveness to this newly-identified consumer market of people with disabilities; and the growing army of advocates and leaders who are proud of our collective and individual identity as people with disabilities; we know we belong in this world in every aspect of life. Our biggest strides have been cultural."

Yet there are still advances that need to be made. Says Kemp, "Improvement is terribly needed in communications, telecommunications, public education, entrepreneurship and access to credit and capital, political sophistication and home ownership. Jobs, jobs, jobs, are always a concern and an area where growth is needed."

There is much hope for the fruition of these and other improvements to the quality of life. Imparato notes that, "More and more, the disability community is becoming a political and economic force. I feel that the greatest progress since ADA has occurred in transforming the architecture of America's towns and cities to incorporate access features in new construction and remodeling. Also, ADA has helped to raise the expectations of young people with disabilities and their parents about what they can hope to achieve in life."

Strength in Numbers

While the AAPD's political advocacy has the potential to improve opportunities for all Americans with disabilities, members of the association enjoy special access to services that can enhance their everyday lives. For an annual fee of $19.95, members can take advantage of economic advancement opportunities such as an online career center, a quarterly newsletter on policy developments, and discounts on prescription drugs, car rentals, and other goods and services.

Membership in AAPD is growing. Says Imparato, "We want to build the AAPD until it matches the scope and reach of sister groups like NAACP and AARP." To achieve this goal, the group plans to expand National Disability Mentoring Day, held this year on October 16, to reach every state. Also planned is a new Congressional internship program for college students with disabilities.

The group's future strategy is to capitalize on its recent growth. Notes Imparato, "[Our] growth has already translated into the ability to be more active on the Hill, communicate more regularly with the membership, update the website more regularly, and expand the organization's visibility outside the beltway. In the coming months, AAPD expects to grow its staff alongside its membership and programs so that it can enhance its capacity to further its mission of political and economic empowerment for all children and adults with disabilities." As membership increases, AAPD plans to open regional offices to reinforce and support the network of program volunteers. To get involved at the grass roots level, members can sign up for the free Justice for All listserv on AAPD's website for updates and alerts.

Kemp also highlights the need for the organization to expand and thus gain more clout in the business world. "Strategies for influencing corporate behavior have changed for the better in most part, as companies now see some market profitability in serving a 'disability' market. Our excellent corporate partners understand our needs and our mission, and together we help them build stronger, more responsive companies and a better, more diverse workforce. With more members, we can demand better benefits and services for our members through larger group purchases of benefits, and we can demand more accountability and responsiveness from Congress and the Administration."

Kemp continues: "Our key to being successful is growth of our membership while continuing to be a strong voice of people with disabilities in national political and economic circles. When additional resources become available, we're ready to take on even greater challenges."