Come to Work Internship: Advocacy Intern

Position Title: Come to Work Internship, Advocacy    
Location: Anywhere in Canada
Compensation: $19.00 per hour
Internship Date: March 30 to September 30, 2026

Scope and Summary of Primary Responsibilities

The Intern, Advocacy supports CNIB’s advocacy initiatives by assisting with the coordination, research, and delivery of activities that empower people who are blind, partially sighted, or Deafblind to address barriers in their communities. Working under the guidance of the Director, Advocacy and Campaigns and regional Advocacy Leads, the Intern contributes to the development of advocacy campaign materials and correspondence, conducts background research, and helps mobilize community members to participate in CNIB’s advocacy efforts. The Intern will also play a key role in tracking advocacy activities, supporting the preparation of reports and updates, and assisting with individual advocacy inquiries by gathering information and escalating issues appropriately. This position provides hands on experience in advocacy, policy research, campaign coordination, community engagement, and accessible communications, offering valuable exposure to how CNIB advances barrier free communities and strengthens the capacity of individuals with sight loss to self advocate.

Essential Functions

The position entails, but is not limited to the following general responsibilities:

• Assist in the creation of advocacy campaign materials. This includes carrying out background research and writing correspondence and briefing materials for internal and external audiences.
• Assist in mobilizing community members to support our advocacy issues  
• Track CNIB Advocacy activities in Salesforce  
• Compile monthly and quarterly Advocacy team updates and reports 
• Assist Advocacy Leads in responding to individual advocacy concerns from individuals living with sight loss and escalating when required  
• Support in the development of advocacy articles for the new MyCNIB platform 
• Coordinate Advocacy programming under the guidance of the Program Lead

Relationships

• Communicates in a professional manner, both written and spoken, at both internal and external levels as required.
• Builds and maintains positive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders including disability organizations, public officials, industry representatives etc. 
• Works both independently and collaboratively with stakeholders.

Problem Solving/Time Frame of Impact

• This position solves problems that are typically short term and operational, such as addressing day to day issues, responding to individual advocacy inquiries, or troubleshooting logistics for community engagement activities. They are expected to use solution focused thinking and resourcefulness, drawing on established policies, toolkits, and guidance. 
• More complex or long term systemic issues are escalated to senior advocacy staff. 

Decision Autonomy

• This position has autonomy to make decisions related to routine tasks, such as scheduling, team coordination, basic issue triage, and preparing materials. They exercise judgement when recommending next steps to community members, following CNIB’s philosophy of empowering self advocacy.
• Decisions with strategic, reputational, or policy implications are escalated to an Advocacy Lead or other senior staff. 

Leadership

•  Takes initiative in providing information and assistance to community members and stakeholders

Qualifications

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Demonstrated interest in advocacy, disability rights, government relations, or campaigning
• Strong written and spoken communication skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) 
• Research and analytical skills related to policy, legislation, and advocacy topics 
• Organizational skills and attention to detail 
• Experience building relationships with external stakeholders
• Administrative skills (tracking correspondence, scheduling, preparing briefings) 
• Professional attitude, maturity, and adaptability 

Experience and Education

• Post-secondary education in a related field (social work, communications, public policy, or other humanities-based subjects) or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.

Work Environment

• This role may be performed remotely or in person. Occasional in person days may be expected for candidates who live near a CNIB office. 

To apply for the internship

Please submit your application Kat Hamilton, Director of Advocacy & Campaigns at kat.hamilton@cnib.ca