Accessibility Internship

Accessibility Intern

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year to experience the beauty of our formal gardens, art collections, and the legacy of our founder, Marjorie Merriweather Post. We are deeply committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all visitors and are seeking an Accessibility Intern to support and advance this work across the estate.

About the Role:
Hillwood is seeking a motivated and thoughtful intern with an interest in accessibility, inclusive design, and visitor experience. This is a hands-on, project-based opportunity to contribute meaningfully to how Hillwood evaluates and improves accessibility across its gardens, galleries, and programs.

This role offers real scope and impact: you’ll compile and analyze accessibility data from across the estate, identify and prioritize improvement opportunities, research external resources and best practices, and help develop actionable plans for piloting accessibility enhancements. A specific project focus will be mutually agreed upon prior to the start of the internship.

What You’ll Do:
• Compile and organize accessibility data, feedback, and observations from across the estate into a centralized format
• Analyze findings to identify, prioritize, and rank accessibility improvement opportunities
• Research external organizations, resources, and best practices in accessibility and inclusive design
• Develop a plan for piloting accessibility improvements, including defining goals, resources, and evaluation methods
• Collaborate with staff across departments including Visitor Services, Facilities, Horticulture, and Collections
• Participate in meetings, public programs, and day-to-day museum operations
• Connect with staff across Hillwood to explore career pathways in the museum and nonprofit field

What We’re Looking For:
We welcome applicants from a wide range of academic backgrounds, including museum studies, public history, disability studies, accessibility, architecture, urban planning, public policy, communications, and related fields.

• Current undergraduate, post-graduate, or graduate student in a relevant field
• Genuine interest in accessibility, inclusive design, and creating welcoming spaces
• Strong research, organizational, and analytical skills
• Ability to synthesize information into clear recommendations
• Self-directed with the ability to manage a multi-part project
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Availability of 10–16 hours per week
• Ability to move throughout the estate and occasionally lift up to 15 lbs

Learning Opportunities:
• Participate in weekly check-ins with your supervisor to review progress and set goals
• Join meetings related to accessibility planning, visitor experience, and estate operations
• Attend and/or assist with public programs during your internship
• Conduct informational interviews with staff across departments including Curatorial, Visitor Services, Facilities, Horticulture, and more

Compensation & Details:
This is a paid, on-site internship at $20.14/hour. Interns may also be eligible to receive academic course credit in coordination with their university.

Notice:

The preceding description indicates the general nature and responsibilities of this position and may not include every duty required. Responsibilities may evolve based on operational needs.

Hillwood is seeking applicants from all backgrounds and educational levels to ensure we get the best, most creative talent on our team. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage people who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color and people with marginalized identities to apply for open positions. We strive to make the hiring process as accessible as possible. Please do not hesitate to share what will make the process best for you. We cannot guarantee all accommodation; our team will make accommodations where possible with sufficient notice.