Public Policy Fellow

The National Disability Institute (NDI) invites applications from qualified candidates to apply for a 11-month, part-time paid virtual fellowship. Candidates should have an interest in helping advance public policy development at a federal and state level to promote financial health and wellbeing for people with disabilities and their families. This fellow will focus on Illinois state-specific policy research, analysis, and development.

Since 2016, NDI research has documented that people with disabilities in Black, Native/Indigenous, and Latino/Latinx/Latine communities experience the greatest disparities in educational attainment, employment, earnings, economic, and banking status. Additionally, people with disabilities living at intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality experience higher levels of medical debt, housing instability, and food insecurity. Intersecting systems of marginalization create and exacerbate further discrimination in our society that has lingering and long-term effects on financial stability and economic inequity. To learn more, visit the NDI website section on race, ethnicity, and disability.

The Public Policy Fellow will bring an intersectional framework to the review and analysis of existing laws and regulations, including the development of new proposals that must recognize the systemic challenges that multiply marginalized people with disabilities face.

FELLOWSHIP BENEFITS

The opportunity to be an NDI Public Policy Fellow offers multiple benefits in addition to the financial stipend. You will have the unique opportunity to join 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 a disability and economic justice and equity agenda. 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. Completing the fellowship will provide you with a strong foundation for pursuing further study or work in disability and economic policy analysis and advocacy.

One applicant will be chosen for this fellowship during 2024-2025. The fellow will be supervised by Lydia X. Z. Brown, NDI’s Director of Public Policy, with further assistance and support from other NDI staff working specifically on the Illinois Economic Justice Initiative.

The time commitment is expected to be 20 hours per week with an actual schedule negotiated on an individual basis. The fellowship will offer a paid stipend of $20 per hour to a total of $11,000 over total of 550 hours over no more than 11 months.

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION

National Disability Institute is a national nonprofit and leading voice on policies and practices that increase awareness and understanding of the financial challenges and economic disparities that adversely impact people with disabilities, with particular attention to people with disabilities who are members of groups that have also been historically marginalized. Our strategies for promoting individual and systems change include public policy development, financial education, and testing intervention strategies through community partnerships that increase disabled people’s income production, savings, and asset accumulation.

FELLOW RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Monitor and track status of new pending legislative proposals in Illinois and at the federal level that have a potential impact on improving economic stability and financial health for individuals with disabilities and their families in Illinois.
2. Monitor Illinois state and federal legislative and regulatory hearings and prepare summaries and analysis with recommendations for next steps of engagement.
3. 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 Illinois state favorable tax credits like Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC).
4. Participate with NDI staff in Illinois and national coalition meetings to work collaboratively on educating and influencing policy development. Areas of focus may include, but not be limited to:
   1. 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.
   2. Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rules development and implementation.
   3. financial product and service accessibility.
   4. efforts to change Social Security rules that improve opportunity to advance economic self-sufficiency.
   5. reform of asset and income limits impacting eligibility related to other public benefits for people with disabilities across the life span.
   6. efforts to end subminimum wage (commensurate wage) for people with disabilities and promote transition to competitive, integrated employment; and
   7. coverage of consumer protection laws and rules related to equal access to credit and fair housing opportunities for people with disabilities, especially with the rapidly changing landscape of algorithmic decision-making systems impacting applicants for credit and housing.
5. Participate in meetings with Illinois state and federal agencies to garner support for promoting an improved financial health agenda through funded initiatives, cross-agency partnerships, and system change strategies.
6. Contribute material based on online research and data collection and analysis to the NDI website, publications, and social media outlets.
7. Contribute research, drafting, and editing of NDI reports, policy briefs, and other written work products to advance NDI’s research and advocacy priorities.
8. 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.
9. Prepare regular written updates for dissemination to NDI staff, partners, and community members.
10. Participate in monthly NDI public policy team calls.

DESIRED SKILLS AND QUALITIES

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience with qualitative or quantitative research methods and analysis.
• Demonstrated and documented interest in public policy development, poverty reduction, and economic justice for disabled people.
• Past record of engagement at a local, state, and/or federal level to educate policy makers about changes in existing laws or regulations or passage of new legislative proposals.
• Knowledge of and familiarity with the state or federal legislative or regulatory processes, including components such as the legislative calendar and public comment on proposed rulemaking activities.
• Lived experience with disability. People with disabilities, mental health conditions and chronic illnesses are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Lived experience with other marginalized communities. We invite you to describe how your specific identities and experiences shape your approach to public policy.
• Candidates do not need to be current or former Illinois residents; however, we encourage candidates to explain any relevant knowledge of Illinois communities or relationships with Illinois stakeholders.
• No specific educational level or degree is required; however, educational programs or training that includes coursework on disability rights, economics, finance, law, or policy are a plus. Applications are welcome from candidates who do not have formal education, but who do have relevant experience and skills. Applications are also welcome from recent graduates of any academic program, people returning to the workforce, people transitioning between careers, and current students at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
• Reliable access to a computer or laptop with a strong internet connection.

APPLICATION PROCESS

NDI is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including people with disabilities, veterans, and individuals from underrepresented communities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

If you are interested in being considered for our public policy fellowship, please submit the following to Lydia X. Z. Brown (lbrown@ndi-inc.org) and Kara Broadus (kbroadus@ndi-inc.org) no later than Friday, September 22 , 2024. Please include “Policy Fellow application” in the email subject line.

• Cover letter addressing your relevant personal and professional experience for this role, why you are interested in working with NDI, and what you hope to gain from the fellowship experience.
• Resume
• Two writing samples (no more than 5 pages each)

Incomplete packages will not be accepted. No phone calls, please.

Finalists will participate in an interview process. The anticipated start date for the selected candidate is Monday, October 21, 2024, with an anticipated end date of Friday, September 26, 2025.