Programs Director

Sarah Shaw is the Programs Director at the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). Sarah is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, with a deep commitment to uplifting historically marginalized communities, particularly those with chronic illness and disabilities.

As the former Associate Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Community Outreach at the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF), Sarah created and led transformative programs for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQIA+ communities that provided dedicated spaces and programs for patients to share their experiences, help them advocate for their health as well as find support. Her work ensured that patient voices were centered in policy discussions, industry events, and organizational content, focusing on intersectionality and accessibility. Throughout her career, Sarah has managed cross-functional teams, overseen programs and events, developed impactful advocacy campaigns across multiple disease areas, and secured long-term funding through multi-year sponsorship proposals. 

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Sarah is a dedicated patient advocate, leveraging her lived experience with multiple chronic illnesses to inform her work and advocacy efforts. She is very involved in patient advocacy events; Sarah has been featured in various advocacy campaigns, including the Speak Your Migraine Campaign, WebMD’s “In Their Own Words: Moving Beyond Migraine” segment with Robin Roberts, and BBC’s “The Conversation”. She is an avid advocate at the lobbying event Headache on the Hill in Washington, D.C. In addition to serving on various industry patient councils and advisory boards, she has been a prominent panelist and speaker for major healthcare organizations.

Sarah is a graduate of Rutgers University, where she earned her BA in Journalism and Media Studies and a minor in Labor Studies with a concentration in Diversity in the Workplace. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys reading, listening to music, game and movie nights, bird watching, enjoying nature, and going on traveling adventures whenever she can with her wife.