A crash course in building a career.
Ten paid weeks of professional development and job search training for individuals with disabilities, backed by real work experience, one-on-one coaching, and career technology at every step.
See how the internship works.
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- “Accessible” means something different to everyone. A ramp helps one person. A clear path to the restroom helps another.
- The Ahoi app: accessibility reviews, by and for the disability community.
- How it fits together: paid interns with disabilities build the Ahoi app, and the work builds their careers. Interns write accessibility reviews, give product feedback, and keep weekly schedules. In return they get meaningful work experience, career coaching, and job search support.
- How the Ahoi app works: choose the accessibility features you need; every place is scored 0–100 for your needs; view photos and reviews from people who’ve been there; get directions that show sidewalk barriers along your route.
- Who writes these reviews? Our interns. Past cohorts added thousands. (Footage of interns reviewing a place on a phone.)
- Ahoi × MassAbility: a paid internship for individuals with disabilities, run with the state VR agency. 10 weeks, 10 hours a week, fully remote.
- “If I work, will I lose my benefits?” Answered with their own numbers, powered by Ahoi’s Compass. In the example shown, working leaves the person $1,555 more each month, and they need to earn $2,991 a month to come out ahead. Every intern sees their own numbers, and we partner with benefits counselors for added support.
- Week 1: Ahoi builds a written career plan, the Program Goals & Action Plan, with every intern. Counselors can be collaborative partners throughout the process.
- Paid work that belongs on a resume: 100 paid hours, the Community Access Monitor Certification, experience on a tech team, and a professional reference.
- Automated tools for the job search: the Resume & Cover Letter Reviewer, Ahoi Coach, and the Job Search Tracker.
- The capstone: every intern owns, builds, and presents a capstone project. They pitch it in week 6, get peer review in week 7, and present it in week 10.
- In their words: Jessica Wilson, past Ahoi intern: “The Ahoi internship is actually the first internship that I could be eligible for.” Ernie Aupperlee, past Ahoi intern: “They believed in me, which I will never forget.”
- Beyond the interns: every review your interns write helps your whole state, from your VR clients to every resident and visitor.
- Simple to launch in your state: Ahoi employs and insures every intern; a dedicated facilitator and the full curriculum; fully remote; written reviews and a 90-day plan for every counselor. $7,500 per participant, on average, all-in. Start small with a pilot of about 15 participants.
- A paid path into the workforce, ready for your state. Ask us how at ahoimate.com.
Accessibility reviews in their own community.
Most of each participant's 10 weekly hours goes to reviewing real places on the Ahoi app: restaurants, shops, parks, and public buildings near where they live.
Visit and assess
Check entrances, restrooms, seating, and paths against the standards from their accessibility training.
Document
Rate details like noise, lighting, and how busy a place is, and add photos tagged by area, such as the entryway or restroom.
Report barriers
Flag obstructions along the way, like a missing curb cut or a blocked sidewalk.
Share product feedback
Tell the team that builds the app what works and what doesn't.
Every review your interns write helps your whole state.
Their reviews go into the Ahoi app, free for anyone to use, so your investment reaches far past the cohort. The app is available in all 50 states.
Real work. Real impact. Real skills.
The tools you need to launch a career — in one program.
A coach every week
A ten-week curriculum plus a 1:1 every week.
A paid role on a real tech team
Accessibility reviews in their own community, on a set schedule.
Career tools built in
Resume reviewer, Ahoi Coach, job tracker, and Compass.
Coaching that keeps going between sessions.
Every participant gets the same tools Ahoi's coaches use. They get faster feedback, more practice, and a job search that stays organized long after week ten.
A full redline in minutes, not at the next meeting.
Participants upload a resume or cover letter and a job posting. The reviewer returns tracked changes line by line, a clean rewrite, and a version tailored to that posting.
- Stronger action verbs and measurable results
- Matched to the language of each job posting
- Checked for applicant tracking systems
- Reviewed with their coach in the next one-on-one
Completed 60+ accessibility reviews of local businesses for a crowd-sourced app used by thousands of people. Helped with feedback.
Shared weekly feedback on new app features with the development team. Good with people.
Interviewed store managers on-site about entrances, restrooms, and seating.
A career coach that's there at 9 p.m.
Ahoi Coach is an AI coaching assistant that asks the questions a good coach would, helps participants explore career paths that fit, and adds what they learn to their Program Goals & Action Plan.
- Available any time between sessions
- Builds on each participant's own Program Goals & Action Plan
- Sends questions about disclosure and benefits to the participant's counselor
- Conversation summaries are shared with Ahoi's team, so we can tailor each intern's experience
Every application, every follow-up, in one place.
Participants log each application as they go. The tracker shows what's in progress and flags when a follow-up is due, so momentum carries past the end of the program.
| Job title | Applied | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Patient Access Representative | ✓ Oct 12 | Interviewing |
| Programs Assistant | ✓ Oct 14 | Follow-up due |
| Customer Service Associate | Not yet | Saved |
"If I work, will I lose my benefits?" Answered with their own numbers.
Compass grew out of this program: participants kept asking the same question before taking a job, will working cost me my benefits? A guided Compass session now shows each participant what earnings would do to their benefits, month by month, so that fear doesn't cap their career plan.
Real experience becomes a dream-job career plan.
Participants don't just apply for whatever is open. Over ten weeks, three things help each person figure out the career they want and how to get there.
Ten weeks on a real technology team shows them what they enjoy and where they're strongest.
Professionals from a range of industries and companies, such as Google, Amazon, and Fidelity, share how they built their careers. Speakers include working professionals with disabilities.
Weekly 1:1s and Ahoi Coach help them turn what they learn into career paths worth pursuing.
Their dream-job career plan
Started in week 1 and built throughout the program with the Ahoi team. Counselors are invited to collaborate throughout this process.
Ten weeks of real work, real skills, and a real job search.
Program Goals & Action Plan
Their career plan, started in week 1 and built throughout the program with the Ahoi team.
Resume, cover letter, LinkedIn
Built or rebuilt by week 4, with their Ahoi experience on them.
Interviewing
The STAR structure, reusable stories, and recorded mock interviews, coached.
Running a job search
A live tracker, applications submitted during the program, and follow-up.
Work and money
A Compass session on what earnings would do to their benefits.
Accommodations and self-advocacy
When to disclose and how to ask.
Professional practice
Meeting norms, feedback, time management, and travel training.
Product feedback and a capstone
Real feedback to a technology team, then a final project they present.
Online sessions. Real work in their own community.
Every program session, coaching meeting, and training happens online, so participants join from anywhere in your state.
Accessibility reviews happen wherever each participant lives. No local office needed, and the Ahoi app works in all 50 states.
Adults with disabilities of any age, any experience level, any stage of life. Agencies can also enroll students through Pre-Employment Transition Services.
A predictable schedule, like a real job.
Work session
Review quality, field planning, and product feedback.
Skills session
One core topic a week, taught and practiced.
Career session
Job search, guest speakers, and mock interviews.
1:1 coaching
30 minutes with an Ahoi coach, every week.
About 10 paid hours a week in total, and 40 facilitated sessions across the program.
Accessibility certification
Training on the standards every review is measured against. In Massachusetts, participants earn the Community Access Monitor credential. In new states, we identify a comparable program or work with you to set up an equivalent certification.
Counselors stay in the loop
- Weekly hours by category: reviews, meetings, and professional development
- Written reviews at the midpoint and the end, with three-way check-ins
- A 90-day plan and a warm handoff, so the search keeps its momentum
- Invited to collaborate on each participant's Program Goals & Action Plan throughout the program
Experience employers look for. Confidence to go after it.
improved one or more core job-search skills: resume, LinkedIn, job-search strategy, or interviewing.
9.4 out of 10 average likelihood to recommend the program.
Sherly Veras brought eight years of marketing experience and landed a full-time role during the program, as a marketing manager leading a team of six.
"Ahoi gave me the confidence to take this on, and I feel like I can actually be successful in this."
I came in with no idea what I was to do, and I left with a clear path: where I am, and where I want to go.
Elvis Barbosa, Ahoi internAhoi has helped me… become more confident in my ability to succeed in my career field. I gained resume and cover letter support to make me stand out on a list of applicants.
Charlie Miller, Ahoi internAhoi doesn't just teach you; they show you how to do things, and that makes a big difference.
William Arsenault, Ahoi internSurvey figures: Ahoi exit survey, spring 2026 cohort, 12 respondents. Quotes from Ahoi interns, 2024–2026.
Questions agencies ask
What does it cost, and what's included?
$7,500 per participant, all-in. That covers participant wages (typically $15/hour for about 100 paid hours), payroll, stipends, and insurance, plus the curriculum, weekly 1:1 coaching, guest speakers, accessibility training, the career tools, and progress reporting for counselors. Most agencies start with a pilot of about 15 participants.
How can our agency fund it?
Agencies can fund it through VR case services. For students, it can be funded through Pre-Employment Transition Services, since it combines work-based learning with workplace readiness training. Grants and other sources can work too. We'll help you find the right fit on an intro call.
Who can participate?
Adults with disabilities of any age, any experience level, any stage of life, referred by their VR counselor. Agencies can also enroll students through Pre-ETS. Participants need a smartphone and internet access.
Does it work outside Massachusetts?
Yes. Every program session is remote, and participants review places in their own communities with the Ahoi app, which works in all 50 states. In Massachusetts, participants earn the Community Access Monitor credential. In new states, we identify a comparable program or work with you to set up an equivalent certification.
Who is the employer?
Ahoi is the employer of record. We manage payroll, stipends, and insurance, so employer paperwork for your agency is minimal, usually just helping gather participant information.
What's the weekly time commitment?
Past cohorts have worked about 10 paid hours a week for 10 weeks: three one-hour group sessions, a 30-minute one-on-one, and about 6.5 hours of accessibility reviews on a schedule each participant sets. We can adjust weekly hours up or down to fit your agency's goals, and pricing adjusts to match the hours.
What do counselors do?
Refer interested participants and stay in the loop. Counselors get weekly hours by category, written reviews at the midpoint and the end, and a 90-day plan at handoff. They're invited to collaborate on each participant's Program Goals & Action Plan throughout the program.
How are accommodations handled?
Every session is built to be accessible, and we work with each participant and their counselor on accommodations from day one.
Simple to launch. We handle the details.
Intro call
We learn your goals and who you want to serve.
Scope
Cohort size, start date, and referral process, set together.
Counselor briefing
We present the program to your counselors and open referrals.
Information session
We present to prospective participants at an information session or career exploration event.
10-week cohort
Paid work, coaching, and career tools, delivered remotely.
Capstone and handoff
Each participant presents a capstone; counselors get a progress summary.
- Participant wages, typically $15/hour for about 100 paid hours
- Payroll, stipends, and insurance, with minimal employer paperwork for your agency
- Curriculum, weekly 1:1 coaching, guest speakers, and accessibility training
- Career tools: the resume reviewer, Ahoi Coach, the job search tracker, and Compass
- Recruiting support: program materials and information sessions
- Progress reporting for counselors
Your agency provides
- Referrals of interested participants
- A counselor partner for each participant
- A program contact on your team
Prefer to talk now? Book 30 minutes with Chris Beissel, CEO and co-founder of Ahoi.
Book a timeTell us about your agency.
Share a few details and the Ahoi team will reply within two business days to set up an intro call.