University of Kansas Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies

10/30/2025

To follow up on Tuesday's post -

Please visit https://essentialdata.us/

It shows how good data can be crucial for funding and services.

Just today we heard in Langston University RRTC's employment listening session that poor data tracking for special education through employment is leading to a lack of appropriate support for programs, as one example of many

Highlighting examples of how our essential public data serve the American people.

10/28/2025

Datasets from Transportation, Labor, and Commerce departments connect employers with talented Americans with disabilities.

Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist Denice Ross worked with the Disability Health Equity Research Network (DHERN) to show the connection between disability data to real outcomes for people with disabilities.



More links in comments.

10/26/2025

Great advocacy from our KU colleague. Thank you for the excellent work, Sean Tyree!

In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Sean Tyree, a Research Aide and Self-Advocate at the KUCD - Kansas University Center on Disabilities, wrote about his powerful journey to competitive, integrated employment while living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease.

Sean recently testified on Capitol Hill to share how Vocational Rehabilitation, Medicaid, Medicare, SSI/SSDI, ABLE savings, and strong community support helped him turned barriers into opportunities—building a meaningful career, independence, and purpose.

💬 “People with disabilities can achieve far more than society often expects; they just need the right supports to learn, grow, and pursue their purpose in life.” – Sean Tyree

Read his full story on AUCD Policy Talk:
👉 http://bit.ly/3JfBzyk

10/23/2025

We are at the last day of Center on KTDRR 's 2025 Virtual Knowledge Translation (KT) Conference this year, and are learning about lots of great KT resources!

One is a pilot project in Nigeria presented by Charles Chibuisi Ehiemere - Familia Solutions. This website & resource is for mothers in Nigeria to call in to learn about maternal healthcare in many languages - https://familiasolutions.org/ .

This resource helps combat medical misinformation, as well as allowing scheduling and reminders for healthcare check-ups.

Its use of electronic and computer-aided tools where many people cannot receive usable text messages or do not have internet access is amazing, and they are looking to expand services to more areas in the future.

10/21/2025

Some of our staff are attending Center on KTDRR 's 2025 Virtual Knowledge Translation (KT) Conference this year, and are learning about lots of great KT resources!

One resource is "Thinking for Me" - a comic by advocate Giancarlo Vicari for youth about turning 18 and talking to parents about alternatives to guardianship.

The comic is available as video and pdf:

Giancarlo was born on October 30th, 2008, in Summit New Jersey and is growing up in Union, New Jersey. He was first educated at Washington Elementary School in Union, New Jersey then from 2nd grade to now he is being educated at The Newmark School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. He is very funny, brig...

10/20/2025

AI has much potential for people who need & use AAC – potential that could be good, bad, & ugly. Wednesday learn more in this webinar with Purdue’s Dr. Rua Mae Williams, author of Disabling Intelligences: Legacies of Eugenics & How We Are Wrong About AI. https://lnk.to/ai101

[Image: Blue graphic titled, AI 101 for AAC Users. Text reads: Webinar Featuring Rua Mae Williams, Author of “Disabling Intelligences.” The graphic displays a webinar time and date of 1:30 - 3:00 PM ET October 22, 2025, the CommunicationFIRST logo, and a headshot of Dr. Williams. Next to their headshot is this quote: “Whether you are an AI optimist, skeptic, or pessimist, none of us can afford to be fatalists. When we resign ourselves to the inevitability of oppressive systems, we give in to a desperate world.”]

Purdue Autism Research Center, Purdue Polytechnic

10/16/2025

10/14/2025

The new journal article from IHDPS shows a link between transportation access and better social connectivity and health for people with disabilities.

Read more in the Journals of Transport and Health:
doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2025.102165

10/09/2025

10/07/2025

KU postdoc ensures research includes perspectives of students with disabilities Fri, 09/19/2025 author Vincent P Munoz Share Share by Email Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Bailey Allred | Postdoctoral Researcher | Kansas University Center on Disabilities  For Bailey Allred, qu...

10/03/2025

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month! 🎉 Our researchers at KUCD - Kansas University Center on Disabilities and University of Kansas Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies are working with Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services to support equitable treatment for employees with disabilities through initiatives such as Competitive Integrated Employment.

What is ? Here's what it is NOT:
🚫 earning BELOW minimum wage
🚫 earning LESS than non-disabled employees with similar duties, training and experience
🚫 being SEPARATED from non-disabled employees
🚫 being RESTRICTED from equal opportunity for advancement