Outreach Canvassers

Role Description

This is a temporary, independent contractor, part-time role for May - August 2026. 

AAPD is looking for advocates and organizers who want to play a role in our needs assessment team! Outreach canvassers will support AAPD in disseminating a survey to help inform the creation of a new program. We will hire up to 20 canvassers across the United States. Canvassers will work for up to 20 hours including in-person canvassing and preparation tasks. In-person canvassing will take place primarily during the first three weeks of the survey promotion. 

The new program is for people with different health conditions, disabilities, and aging or changing bodies/minds. Specifically we want to reach people who APPD haven’t typically engaged in the past, including people who might not identify as disabled but have long-term conditions that impact them. The goal is to help people explore their experience related to their condition. Through the new program, they can learn about different systems out in the world – such as healthcare, employment, and technology and see how these systems contribute to the problems they face every day. Ultimately we want people to leave feeling like they have agency over their lives.  

To inform the creation of the new program, we are conducting a needs assessment to learn about the needs across the broader disability community. Canvassers will join the needs assessment team by conducting in-person outreach in their local community.

We are especially looking for canvassers who are passionate about outreaching to communities that are often under-represented in disability spaces, such as individuals:

• From Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities who don’t identify as disabled but have long-term conditions
• Who are formerly incarcerated or systems-impacted
• From immigrant, migrant, or refugee communities 
• With trauma related conditions/accidents/injuries (e.g. gun violence, car crash, PTSD, workplace injury)
• With under-represented disability types (e.g. people with intellectual disabilities, people who use Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, or people who are DeafBlind)

Canvassers will conduct outreach in their own community to local community organizations, churches, libraries, health clinics, jails or prisons, home health care agencies, or other community spaces people interact with. Canvassers will be provided a canvassing script and printed materials, and will work collaboratively with the Program Manager to identify priority areas. The canvassers will engage in conversations with local community leaders, organizations, businesses, or individuals to invite people to participate in the survey or to share flyers.

Overview:

Compensation:  $25 per hour, 15-20 hours

Date: May-August, 2026

Format: In-person, anywhere in the U.S. *requires local travel

Reports to: Katie Johnson, Program Manager

Deadline to apply: Priority deadline of May 1. Applications accepted until positions are filled.

Key Responsibilities:

• Participate in a 90 minute virtual canvassing orientation session with the Program Manager to learn more about the needs assessment process and receive training around canvassing.
• Participate in a 1:1 call with the Program Manager to identify priority areas in your community for canvassing efforts. 
• Conduct around 15 hours of in-person community outreach in your local community/region. 
• Engage in conversations with local community leaders, community based organizations, businesses, or individuals to invite them to take or share the survey following a canvassing script.
• Document outreach efforts in a tracking sheet and share periodic updates with the program manager.
• Participate in a debrief call with the Program Manager at the end of the outreach process to provide feedback to AAPD about your experience.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Local area knowledge that provides familiarity with the local area, neighborhood, or specific community demographics.
• Connections and ties to local community organizations that reach the priority groups (listed above). 
• Strong communication skills to engage with a diverse group of people and articulate key messages clearly.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build quick rapport, stay calm, and navigate interactions with a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Strong commitment to disability justice, intersectionality, and social equity.
• Cultural humility to be understanding and respectful of local community norms to effectively engage with diverse populations.