Lurie Institute for Disability Policy

The mission of the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy is to lead research and training initiatives that promote effective, efficient policies to improve the well-being of children and adults with disabilities and their caregiving families across the lifespan.The Lurie Institute’s research addresses many critical issues facing people with disabilities and their families including poverty, unemployment, inequitable access to and quality of care, and a myriad of other social, health, and economic disparities.

As a leading research center, the Lurie Institute is comprised of academic scholars, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate and undergraduate research assistants. Guided by an active advisory board of self advocates, and funded by NIDILRR, the Lurie Institute recently established the National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities. The goal of this national center is to support parents with disabilities, as well as those who engage with them, through the dissemination of research, training, and tools.

The Institute receives approximately $1.4 million dollars annually through federal funding from NIH; NIDILRR; HRSA; and the CDC. Specific current research topic areas include:

• development and dissemination of evidence-based knowledge to support parents with diverse disabilities through a national research center for parents with disabilities

• pregnancy experiences and outcomes among women with intellectual and developmental disabilities

• unmet needs and barriers to care for women with physical disabilities

• trends, patterns, quality, and costs of hospital utilization among working-age adults with autism spectrum disorders

• disparities in reproductive health care access for women with disabilities

• poverty alleviation and health care costs among people with disabilities

• impact of violence victimization against people with disabilities

More information about the work of the Lurie Institute can be found at lurie.brandeis.edu.