Self-Advocacy Leads Hahr into Tech Journalism Fellowship

Former FL SAND Fellow and FSACentral Blogger Jason Hahr was awarded an international tech journalism fellowship. Pictured here at a recent Family Cafe conference.

When former FL SAND Fellow and writer Jason Hahr applied for the IEEE Spectrum Taenzer Fellowship, he hoped to expand his work beyond legislative advocacy and personal blogging. What he did not expect was to join a six-person international cohort contributing to one of the world’s leading engineering and technology publications.

“I’m a nerd,” Hahr joked. “I’d been running The Voiceless Minority, but I never really explored tech journalism. I wanted to broaden my horizons.”

The fellowship, which runs through this year and next, supports early-career journalists covering engineering and technology. Fellows pitch their own ideas, and Hahr meets regularly with his senior editor and three other fellows as they refine story concepts. Once a pitch is approved by his news editor, fellows conduct interviews, complete research and write their stories on a one-to-two-week timeline for publication online and in the magazine, which reaches more than 80,000 subscribers.

Since beginning the program in October 2025, Hahr has published three stories, including coverage of an accessible learning station developed for a young student, low-cost DIY assistive technology, and a voice-guided semi-autonomous wheelchair created by German researchers. Check out his work here.

Before becoming a Taenzer Fellow, Hahr wrote personal essays and disability commentary on his website and was a long-time writer for Florida Self-Advocacy Central. He credits his experience as a FL SAND Fellow with giving him the reporting discipline needed for a newsroom. 

“Before FL SAND (Fellowship), I wasn’t used to journalistic style or deadlines,” he said. “It taught me how to find the hook and focus on what matters in a story.”

He also said his move into technology reporting is tied to his growth as a self-advocate. 

“I wasn’t always a go-getter,” he said. “Self-advocacy gave me the courage to speak up for myself. I wouldn’t have done this 12 years ago.”

Self-advocacy also guided him through the onboarding process. Fellowship materials were first provided in paperback, which he could not read because of his disability. He requested an accessible version and received reimbursement for an audiobook, along with PDF files compatible with text-to-speech software.

The fellowship also funds a typist who assists him with written work. 

“Without my advocacy experience, I would not have had the confidence to ask for the accommodations I needed,” he said.

Hahr encourages other disabled storytellers to seek opportunities in media, whether through fellowships or community reporting. 

“Everyone has a story,” he said. “Good storytelling is a snapshot. Find the moment that matters. Look for publications that match your focus. Always be open to opportunities. We have had to fight for things our whole lives, and that skill can open doors.”

As he continues writing for IEEE Spectrum, Hahr hopes his work will expand disability-centered technology reporting and create more pathways for disabled journalists. 

“I just wanted to broaden my horizons,” he said. “Now I get to tell stories that matter.”