Current Projects

The National Center for Disability and Pregnancy Research is working on five current projects:

Research Project 1: Expanding the Evidence-Base: Perinatal Health and Outcomes in Diverse Disability Populations

Analysis of multiple national data sources to examine disability-related disparities in preconception health, perinatal care, complications, and outcomes, with a focus on disabled people of color. This work will inform targeted recommendations for policies and programs, across and within disability groups, to promote reproductive equity and justice.

Led by Drs. Willi Horner-Johnson, Monika Mitra, and Anne Valentine.

Conducted at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy and Oregon Health & Sciences University.

Research Project 2: Precon4All Trial: Efficacy, Evaluation and Scale-up of a Preconception Intervention for People with Mobility Disability

Implement and test the efficacy of a preconception health education intervention to address specific concerns and needs of people with mobility disabilities.

Led by Dr. John Harris.

Conducted at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Research Project 3: American Sign Language Prenatal Clinical Course as a Pregnancy Tool to Empower the Deaf

Develop an accessible birth class in American Sign Language (ASL) for pregnant Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) individuals.

Led by Drs. Michael Mckee and Angela Earhart.

Conducted at the University of Michigan.

Research Project 4: Medicaid Doula Coverage and Disability Access

Policy analysis of the implications of Medicaid perinatal doula coverage for disabled pregnant people across different states in the US.

Led by Drs. Robyn Powell and Kara Ayers.

Conducted at the National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy.

Research Project 5: Quality Indicators for Perinatal Mental Health for People with Disabilities

Identify indicators of quality mental health care for disabled women and test the effectiveness of an e-learning module on perinatal mental health and disability for mental healthcare providers.

Led by Drs. Hilary Brown and Marjorie Aunos.

Conducted at the University of Toronto.

Our research projects reflect the following aims:

Aim 1: Address knowledge gaps regarding perinatal experiences, risks, complications, and outcomes in disabled people – particularly racial and ethnic minority people – through population-based research.

Aim 2: Contribute to the evidence base of targeted supports for women with diverse disabilities, particularly minoritized individuals, through the development, adaptation, testing, and scale-up of interventions for pregnant people, their caregivers, and perinatal care professionals.

In addition, a third aim centers on knowledge translation and dissemination:

Aim 3: Translate evidence-based knowledge and make it broadly accessible to diverse stakeholders through state-of-the-art, empirically informed training and dissemination activities. We will systematically translate evidence-based knowledge to make it accessible to a wide array of stakeholders including disabled pregnant people, clinicians, advocates, and policymakers.