posted 2-28-03
IT Internships for College Students with Disabilities
The American Association of People with Disabilities and
Microsoft Collaborate on New Federal Internship Program
WASHINGTON - In an effort to empower people with disabilities as they
continue the struggle to obtain meaningful employment, the American
Association of People with Disabilities and Microsoft Corp. are proud
to announce a unique summer internship program designed for college
and university students with disabilities. Ten interns for summer 2003
will be selected through a highly competitive application process. Interns
will be provided with generous stipends, accessible housing in Washington
and, where necessary, assistance with accommodations at their work site.
The deadline for application submissions is mid-March.
“I would like to commend the American Association of People with
Disabilities and Microsoft for their creative collaboration on the design
of this new internship program,” said Rep. Jim Langevin, the first
individual with quadriplegia to be elected to Congress. “An internship
of this caliber, with these objectives and which has been designed specifically
for college students with disabilities, will reap substantial benefits
not just for the interns, but for all program participants as well.
Programs like this, aimed at providing opportunity and empowerment for
disabled students, are the first step toward the long-term employment
and success of people with disabilities.”
In its inaugural year, the program will provide 10 students interested
in careers in information technology with an 11-week paid internship
at a federal agency in Washington. The goal of the program is to give
college students with disabilities the opportunity to participate in
and benefit from highly sought-after federal internships to which other
students have long had access. The program will give participants real-world
work experience, further enhance their employment opportunities, and
allow them to hone their IT skills. In addition, it will enable them
to learn firsthand how political and regulatory processes work, as well
as see how they can make positive changes through personal advocacy.
By harnessing the talent that exists among college students with disabilities,
the Microsoft-AAPD Federal Internship Program aims to demonstrate to
public and private employers that students with disabilities are solid
prospects as members of the IT work force.
“In pursuit of our mission of economic empowerment, AAPD seeks
to create opportunities for young people with disabilities to develop
experience that will help them compete for the jobs which will be available
when they graduate,” said Andrew J. Imparato, president and CEO
of AAPD. “Thanks to Microsoft, we now have the ability to help
college students learn valuable IT skills and help reinforce the important
work being undertaken by federal agencies to make their information
technology infrastructures fully accessible.”
The new Microsoft-AAPD Federal Internship Program is made possible
through a $325,000 grant to AAPD from Microsoft and will be administered
by AAPD. AAPD is the largest cross-disability membership organization
in the country. Its mission is the political and economic empowerment
of the more than 56 million people in the United States living with
disabilities.
“Microsoft strongly believes in supporting the development of
tomorrow’s work force,” said Bruce Brooks, director of Community
Affairs at Microsoft. “As part of this effort, our mission is to
provide people, including those with disabilities, with opportunities
to realize their full potential. Our long-standing relationship with
AAPD and the creation of this unique internship program are exciting
steps toward realizing this mission.”
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services
and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company
offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people
through great software—any time, any place and on any device. During
the past five years, Microsoft has donated approximately $5.5 million
in cash and software to disability organizations and initiatives.
“This administration recognizes that America cannot afford to
leave anyone behind as we enter the 21st century,” said Dr. W.
Roy Grizzard, assistant secretary of labor, office of disability employment
policy, U.S. Department of Labor. “We must give every American
the chance to reach their full potential in life, and particularly in
the work force. This new internship program gives students with disabilities
valuable exposure to available career IT opportunities in the federal
government, while giving all participants the chance to learn firsthand
that people with disabilities have truly incredible abilities—abilities
that can be invaluable in today’s economy.”
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