IEP and Accommodation Specialist (Volunteer)

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Type: Volunteer (Disability Justice Team)

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a NYC-based nonprofit serving children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative expression. Accessibility is not an afterthought at MAP — it is a priority in making sure all children and youth are able to access vital resources.

MAP’s visual identity, educational materials, books, media, and spaces all rely on accessibility through their design.

Role Overview

The Mentor a Promise IEP and Accommodation Specialist will familiarize themselves with the ADA, section 504, the Fair Housing Act, IEPs, school accommodations, and overall disability rights. They will then perform outreach to families that work with Mentor A Promise who seek IEPs or 504 plans for their children. In doing this, they will be assessing what accommodations their child may be entitled to in school. They will assist the family in drafting materials to appeal to their school for reasonable accommodations, and advise in gathering relevant documents.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide insight and guidance on accommodations covered not only by the ADA, but ethical accommodations as well (ADA is a baseline, not the ceiling)
• Provide knowledge on IEP’s, 504s, and other accommodations
• Assist families in learning about how they can assist their children in gaining accommodations in and out of the classroom
• Informing Families about the ADA’s interactions with accommodations they are entitled to
• Provide resources to assist their children in the classroom before accommodations can be available/while the school is making a decision about the child’s accommodations
• Act as an accessibility resource for Mentor A Promise volunteers who seek assistance, especially regarding accommodations in educational environments
• Uphold Universal Design Principles and standards to best of ability

Qualifications

• Strong commitment to accessibility and disability justice
• Willingness to learn about accessibility/disability-related policy
• Synthesize accessibility law in educational settings in approachable manner
• Reliability, creativity, and comfort working in a collaborative nonprofit environment
• Alignment with MAP’s mission and commitment to dignity-centered work

Preferred Skills

• Experience advocating for disabled individuals, or lived experience as a disabled person
• Familiarity with ADA, section 504, IEPs, and accommodations
• Familiarity with Universal Design
• Previous work in a school setting
• Work liaising with families
• Trauma-Informed Care Skills
• Experience working with variety of different teams ie. legal teams, writing teams, training teams, etc.

Commitment

• Volunteer role
• Approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Meeting once a week with Disability Justice and Accessibility Team
• Minimum 6-month commitment preferred
• Fully remote with optional NYC-based collaboration

What You’ll Gain

• A meaningful role in disability justice with real-world social impact
• Opportunities to see programming in Mentor A Promise and beyond become more accessible to all parties
• Collaboration with advocates in disability justice
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• The chance to help children feel seen, safe, and comfortable through accommodations

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist.

Build with purpose — help MAP create accessible, dignified, justice-centered environments where every young person has the opportunity to thrive.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.