The Lurie Institute for Disability Policy

Current Events at Lurie and Centers

Home Accessibility for Successful Parenting

Home Accessibility for Successful Parenting - National Research Center for Parents with DisabilitiesThe National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities is holding its latest webinar on Home Accessibility for Successful Parenting.

Panelists include Robin Wilson-Beattie, Keith Jones, Kristin Wilks, and Patrick Cokley.

The webinar will be held on April 17 at 2 p.m. ET.

Register for Home Accessibility for Successful Parenting

Carrie Buck Distinguished Fellowship 2026

Carrie Buck Distinguished Fellowship Keynote Event 2026, "Pleasure as a Human Right"

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

Learn More about Evan

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.

Access the Recording, Co-Creating Pregnancy Plans with Disabled People: The Accessible Pregnancy Action Plan Model

Money Follows the Person and LTSS Rebalancing: Opportunities for States

wheelchair user driving with money following him. Information provided on webpage provided on graphic. 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.

Access Video and Slides from the MFP Webinar

Disabled Parents' Adoption Experiences

Disabled Parents' Adoption Experiences (webinar)

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

Lactation and Breastfeeding with a Disability

Lactation and Breastfeeding with a DisabilityParents with disabilities have babies at about the same rate as those without disabilities. However, all too often, disabled parents don’t get the support they need postpartum. In this webinar, we will discuss how to support new parents with a variety of disabilities in lactation and breastfeeding their child.

We hear from Alesha Thomas, BS, IBCLC, a disabled certified lactation consultant, mom, and founder of the Adaptive Parent Project, about tips and strategies for successful breastfeeding. Then, we hear stories from Elizabeth Soper and Norma Morán about their experiences with lactation and breastfeeding and the challenges they encountered as new disabled and Deaf moms.

Watch the Lactation and Breastfeeding with a Disability webinar recording.

Disaster Preparedness for Parents with Disabilities

Disaster Preparedness for Parents with Disabilities webinar - July 21, 2025 at 12pm ETPeople with disabilities are often excluded from conversations about emergency preparedness. This includes parents with disabilities who need to keep themselves and their children safe during a disaster. Watch to learn from Shari Myers and Melissa Marshall from the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies about preparedness best practices and from National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities' Advisory Board member Judy Brown about her personal experiences.

Watch recording on YouTube.

At Our Centers:

National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities

Upcoming Events at the NRCPD

National Center for Disability and Pregnancy Research

Upcoming Events at the NCDPR

Community Living Policy Center

Upcoming Events at the CLPC

Community Living Equity Center

Upcoming Events at the CLEC