Stories of Local Activism #7
American Association of People with Disabilities
Turning Disability Rights into Local Voting Power and Community Freedom
Washington, D.C.
Established in 1995, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a national, disability-led, cross-disability civil rights organization based in Washington, D.C., focused on increasing the political and economic power of over 60 million Americans with disabilities.
AAPD’s policy framework centers on what it takes for disabled people to thrive in real life—not just on paper. While the organization advances priorities like affordable healthcare and equal economic opportunity, its work is anchored in building the conditions for full belonging and civic power.
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Two core policy principles capture that focus.
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Community Integration, ensuring disabled people can live and participate fully in community life
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Equal Rights and Political Participation, protecting civil rights and expanding access to independent, accessible voting
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AAPD’s civic engagement work is especially visible through REV UP: a nationwide, nonpartisan network that supports local coalitions to grow the disability vote and remove barriers at the polls. REV UP was launched in 2016 as an initiative of AAPD and is designed to be community-powered, locally led, and scalable across states.
Mission
Across AAPD’s work, one lesson is clear: When disabled people lead initiatives on issues that directly impact our lives, the results are powerful.
—AAPD President and CEO Maria Town
Hear from Partners and Participants
Sarah Blahovec
Miracle Nored
What They Do
Key Community and Voter Empowerment Initiatives
1. Community Integration
AAPD frames community integration as belonging: disabled people being embraced in community and everyday life across housing, transportation, technology access, and public services.
2. Equal Rights and Political Participation
AAPD’s policy principles explicitly include “Equal Rights and Political Participation,” emphasizing civil rights enforcement and the conditions required for equal access to democratic life.
3. REV UP Voting Campaign
REV UP (Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!) is a nonpartisan campaign and organizing network built to strengthen disability voting power through local coalitions and partner organizations.
4. Election Engagement Hub
AAPD’s Election Engagement Hub is designed as a practical public-facing resource so disabled voters can engage “as meaningfully as possible” across state and local contexts. External partners describe the Hub as offering tools like state-by-state voting guides and plain-language voting definitions.
Get the Message
Theory of Change
Leadership + Policy + Community Organizing + Accessible Democracy = Disability-led Power
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Build disabled leadership
AAPD develops and elevates leaders with disabilities so lived experience drives decision-making across communities, institutions, and public life.​​​
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Translate community needs into policy and systems change
AAPD advances rights-based policy to make inclusion real by strengthening community integration, healthcare access, and economic opportunity for disabled people.
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Grow local power through partnerships and organizing
AAPD works with cross-disability and cross-movement partners to turn shared priorities into collective action at the local and national levels.
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Protect and expand political participation through tools and mobilization
Through efforts like REV UP and election resources, AAPD removes barriers to voting and strengthens disability civic engagement, so communities can defend rights and shape outcomes.
IMPACT
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In 2025, AAPD distributed close to $250,000 in grants to organizers in 23 states to strengthen disability voter engagement.
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Nationally, REV UP reached almost 30,000 voters by helping them register to vote, request an absentee ballot, update their address, or obtain nonpartisan voter education.
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In 2025, AAPD supported nearly 120 disabled advocates from 33 states for meetings with 126 members of Congress in both Republican and Democratic offices on the Hill.
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Leadership development as power-building: AAPD has a network with 600+ colleges and universities, resulting in more than 500 interns onboarded.
Take Action
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Share this story with your network.
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Join or build a REV UP coalition: Participate as a coalition, partner organization, or individual organizer working on nonpartisan civic engagement. https://www.aapd.com/revup-join/
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Use the Election Engagement Hub: Share voting tools, especially state-by-state guidance and plain-language voting explanations, through local disability networks. https://www.aapd.com/election-engagement-hub/
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Connect with AAPD
Instagram: @aapdofficial
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisabilityPowered/
Contact AAPD Team: info@aapd.com
