All About the NIH Strategic Plan for Disability Health Research
In March, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released their NIH Strategic Plan for Disability Health Research. The plan offers a comprehensive roadmap to advance innovative, responsible research that promotes the health and well-being of Americans with disabilities. In this webinar, Adam Politis, NIH Senior Advisor for Disability Health Research, will explain the plan’s goals, objectives, and crosscutting themes. Then, he will be joined by Laurin Bixby, Lurie Institute Research Scientist, for a discussion about the plan as well as take questions from attendees.
The webinar will be held online on June 9 at 1 p.m. ET.
Register for All About the NIH Strategic Plan
2025–26 Student Fellows' Presentations
Our presentation of the 2025–26 Lurie Institute student fellows and the research they conducted under the direction of their mentor took place on April 28, 2026 at 11:10 a.m ET. The webinar recording will be available soon.
Find out what they accomplished during the academic year!
Recording available soon for the Student Fellows' Research Presentations
How Doulas Can Help Disabled Pregnant People
The National Center for Disability and Pregnancy Research is holding a webinar on the barriers disabled people face during pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum and how doulas can play an important role in mitigating the barriers by providing continuous, disability-centered care and advocacy.
Panelists include Dr. Brandie Bentley of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan and one of her former clients, Taylor Willis-Banks, an autistic mother with ADHD.
The webinar will be held on May 20, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Home Accessibility for Successful Parenting
The National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities held a webinar on April 17 on Home Accessibility for Successful Parenting.
"By the book" home modifications are often expensive and time-consuming. Disabled people often make changes to their homes that are innovative, cost-effective, and realistic for their budget and disability-specific needs. In this webinar, parents with a variety of disabilities spoke about what strategies and alterations they’ve adopted to make their home functional and accessible, creating a space to be successful parents. Panelists included Robin Wilson-Beattie, Keith Jones, Kristin Wilks, and Patrick Cokley.
Access the Recording for Home Accessibility for Successful Parenting
Carrie Buck Distinguished Fellowship 2026
The 2026 Carrie Buck Distinguished Fellowship Keynote Event will be held on April 28, 2026 at 1 p.m. ET. The event will be held online only.
For far too long, the conversation around disability and autonomy has focused almost exclusively on basic survival and medical necessity. In this keynote lecture, writer and disability advocate Evan Sweeney will challenge this "survival-only" paradigm by centering pleasure as a fundamental human right.
Drawing from his work as a sex educator and founder of Cripping Up Sex, Evan will explore the systemic barriers that desexualize disabled bodies and the radical act of reclaiming intimacy. This session will introduce the Access Archive—a new digital library of adaptive techniques and storytelling—and offer a roadmap for moving beyond mere "access" toward a future where disabled joy and desire are recognized as essential to the human experience.
Register for the 2026 Keynote Event, Pleasure as a Human Right
Co-Creating Pregnancy Plans with Disabled People: The Accessible Pregnancy Action Plan Model
This webinar introduces a collaborative birth planning tool for pregnant disabled people: The Accessible Pregnancy Action Plan (APAP).
Developed by Dr. Kara Ayers, who presented this webinar, the APAP is a framework for a peer-facilitated discussion about the preferences and accommodations a pregnant disabled person needs during labor, delivery, and postpartum. Participants learned about the birth outcomes, pregnancy, and postpartum experiences of disabled people, which inform the APAP. They also learned about the impact of stigma and discrimination on disabled birthing people.
The webinar was held on February 27, 2026.
Money Follows the Person and LTSS Rebalancing: Opportunities for States
On January 29, 2026, the Community Living Policy Center held a webinar on the Money Follows the Person (MFP) program. National policy advocates and state administrators highlighted the history of the program, State snap shots, and Tribal MFP Initiatives. Speakers discussed the cost-effectiveness of the program and also provided recommendations looking forward.
The Money Follows the Person (MFP) program is one of the longest and most successful Medicaid demonstrations. MFP supports states to transition people residing in nursing homes and other institutional settings back to the community. It assists states with “rebalancing” their Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) systems by advancing access to Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) and improving community living outcomes.
Disabled Parents' Adoption Experiences
People with disabilities can face barriers and stigma when adopting kids. In this webinar, facilitated by researcher and adoptive parent Kara Ayers, we hear from two disabled parents, Robin Wilson-Beattie and Yomi Young, about their experiences with adoption. They share what they wish they knew before navigating adoption, what support helped them, and what professionals should know about adoptive disabled parents and families.
Access the Adoption Experiences 1-Page Webinar Recap
Access recording of Disabled Parents' Adoption Experiences
At Our Centers:
National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities
National Center for Disability and Pregnancy Research
Community Living Policy Center
Community Living Equity Center