As part of a new funding support from Citibank Foundation, National Disability Institute (NDI) invites applications from qualified candidates to apply for a virtual fellowship who are interested in helping advance public policy development at a federal and state level to promote financial health and wellbeing for individuals with disabilities and their families. Since 2016, NDI research has documented that Black, indigenous and Latino communities experience the greatest disparities in educational attainment, employment, economic and banking status and higher levels of medical debt and food insecurity for people with disabilities at the intersection with race, ethnicity and gender. These intersecting identities create further bias and discrimination in our society that has lingering and long-term effects on financial stability. To learn more, visit the NDI website section on race, ethnicity and disability.
The proposed Public Policy Fellows Program will bring an intersectional lens to the review and analysis of existing laws and regulations, including the development of new proposals that must recognize the systemic challenges individuals with disabilities face as a result of their intersecting identities.
Benefit to Applicant
The opportunity to be an NDI Public Policy Fellow offers multiple benefits in addition to receipt of the financial stipend. There is the unique opportunity to be a part of a dynamic community of individual staff at NDI working in collaboration with representatives of other national disability organizations, congressional staff and federal agency representatives to shape and advance an equity and disability economic justice agenda for individuals with disabilities. The fellowship will enable you to develop your research, writing and analytical skills that apply your lived experience to shape public policy development. You will also gain new insights and perspective on the challenges and complexities of educating policymakers and other federal decision makers to bring forward new proposals and amend existing programs based on compelling evidence presented through quantitative and qualitative data.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applicants who are students at a college or university undergraduate or graduate level are also welcome to apply. Two applicants will be chosen. The individuals will be supervised by Michael Morris, founder of NDI, with further assistance and support from NDI’s Executive Director, Tom Foley, and other NDI staff. The length of the fellowship will be six months during 2022. The time commitment is expected to be 20 hours per week with actual schedule negotiated on an individual basis. The fellowship will offer a paid stipend of $10,400.
Organization Description
National Disability Institute is a national nonprofit that has been a leading voice to increase awareness and understanding of financial challenges and economic disparities that adversely impact individuals with disabilities, with particular attention to those who experience intersectionality as individuals with disabilities who also identify as Black, Latinx, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander, Asian, American Indian, Alaskan Native, LGBTQI+ or another group that is representative of underserved communities. Our strategies for promoting individual and systems change include public policy development, financial education and the testing of intervention strategies through community partnerships that increase income production, savings and asset accumulation.
Mentor Bio
Michael Morris is the Founder and Senior Strategic Advisor of National Disability Institute. He has more than 30 years of experience in and outside of government pioneering new strategies to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Michael serves as an advisor and technical expert to multiple federal agencies on policy and systems relationships at federal, state and local levels to advance economic stability, mobility and asset development for persons with disabilities. In 1981, he was named the first Joseph P. Kennedy Fellow in Public Policy and came to Washington, D.C. to work in the Office of Connecticut Senator Lowell Weicker, as legal counsel to the United States Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy. Michael also served subsequently as counsel to the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee. In 2005, he helped establish NDI to advance the social and economic independence of persons with disabilities through strategic investment and technical assistance activities nationwide that bring together government, corporations, foundations and community and faith-based organizations. Michael received his undergraduate degree with honors in Political Science from Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio and his law degree from Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia.
Fellow Responsibilities
- Monitor and track status of new pending legislative proposals at a federal and state level that have a potential impact on improving economic stability and financial health for individuals with disabilities and their families.
- Monitor legislative hearings and prepare summaries and analysis with recommendations for next steps of engagement.
- Conduct policy research on financial inclusion and advancing financial stability for working-age adults with disabilities with particular attention to new policy proposals including, but not limited to Child Savings Accounts (CSA), Universal Basic Income (UBI), Secure Choice and expansion of federal and/or state favorable tax credits like Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC).
- Participate with NDI staff in disability coalition meetings to work collaboratively on educating and influencing policy development with Congress. Areas of focus may include, but not be limited to:
- implementation of and proposed changes to the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE), which creates a tax-advantaged savings account for qualified disability expenses;
- Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rules development and implementation;
- financial product and service accessibility;
- efforts to change Social Security rules that improve opportunity to advance economic self-sufficiency;
- reform of asset limits impacting eligibility related to other public benefits; and
- coverage of consumer protection laws and rules related to equal access to credit and fair housing opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
- Participate in meetings with federal agencies to garner support for promoting an improved financial health agenda through funded initiatives, cross-agency partnerships and system change strategies.
- Contribute material based on online research and data collection and analysis to the NDI website, publications and social media outlets.
- Maintain a detailed log of all activities and meet at least weekly with mentor and other NDI staff to assess progress and reach agreement on next steps. Prepare monthly progress report for dissemination to NDI staff and participate in monthly NDI public policy team calls.
Desired Skills and Qualities
Strong verbal and written communication skills and a demonstrated and documented interest in public policy development, poverty reduction and economic justice for individuals with disabilities. Lived experience with disabilities including parents and siblings who also identify as Black, Latinx, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander, Asian, American Indian, Alaskan Native, LGBTQI+ or another group that is representative of underserved communities would be helpful to participating in fellowship activities. Past record of engagement at a state and/or federal level to educate policy makers about changes in existing laws or regulations or passage of new legislative proposals would be a critical skillset to be a strong candidate for the fellowship.
Application Process
If you are interested in being considered for a public policy fellowship, please submit a cover letter and resume with two writing samples to Michael Morris (mmorris@ndi-inc.org) and Hope Price (hprice@ndi-inc.org) by June 22nd. The individual is expected to have access to a computer or laptop and internet. Finalists will be interviewed and the individual will be selected in July.
