The Lurie Institute for Disability Policy

2021 News Archive

Lurie Institute and Center for Parents Receive New Grants

The Lurie Instititute is thrilled to announce new federal funding for research at Lurie and at Lurie's centers, including a grant supporting the new Center for Disability and Pregnancy Research. 

The Lurie Institute has been awarded a four-year grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The research will examine disparities in care and outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy among Black women and Latinas with physical disabilities.

Learn more about the Lurie Institute's NIH-funded research...


The Lurie Institute has also received a three-year grant from the Administration for Community Living's National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. The grant—under the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects Program—will support Lurie's crucial research on disability and pregnancy, in particular, by helping support the work of our new center, the Center for Disability and Pregnancy Research.

Learn more about the Center for Disability & Pregnancy Research NIDILRR-funded research...


The Research Center for Parents with Disabilities has been awarded a grant under the DRRP Program at NIDILRR. The Center has received a five-year grant for the purposes of identifying, developing, testing, and evaluating interventions that provide support to parents with disabilities in their capacity as a parent and that provide support to their family. The Research Center for Parents with Disabilities will also translate and communicate the knowledge it gains through such avenues as trainings and technical assistance.

Learn more about the Research Center for Parents with Disabilities's NIDILLR-funded research...

Disability@Work 2021 Blog Collection

Every year in October, the Lurie Institute observes NDEAM to honor the participation of disabled people in employment in all fields and occupations and to celebrate their contribution to our shared social and economic life. NDEAM theme for 2021 was "America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion." Read the blog posts we received.

Lurie Institute's Undergraduate Fellows Present Their Research

May 2021

On May 6, our six Lurie undergraduate fellows presented the research they had been working on with their Lurie mentor over the past academic year. Our 2020–21 Lurie undergraduate fellows were Aishwarya Khanna, Luca Swinford, Michael Atkins, Sabrina Chow, Anna Cass, and Zoë Pringle.

Finn Gardiner, MPP'18, Communications Specialist

Lurie Institute Staff Member Receives Heller Award

April 2021

In April 2021, Finn Gardiner, the Lurie Institute's communications specialist, received the Heller School's 2021 Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity award for his work "combining disability advocacy, policy analysis, and visual and written communication to help advance the rights of people with disabilities." 
2020 Lurie Institute for Disability Policy Annual Report

Lurie Institute Issues 2020 Annual Report

March 2021

In March 2021, we released our annual report—a thorough recap of our research and advocacy on the rights and experiences of people with disabilities. 
Rebecca Cokley, 2020 Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life

Rebecca Cokley, 2020 Richman Fellow, Addresses Brandeis Community

March 2021

Rebecca Cokley, the 2020 Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life, held a lecture, "Achieving an Inclusive Democracy: What It Means for Every Voice to Count." A seasoned disability-rights advocate, Cokley has collaborated with disability-rights groups and civil-society organizations to ensure that all have a say in policies, laws, and programs that affect their lives.
Sandy Ho, Research Associate

Lurie Institute Staff Inducted into Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame

March 2021

Two Lurie Institute staff members—Sandy Ho and Finn Gardiner—were inducted into the 2020 class of the Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Sandy and Finn!