The Disability Economic Policy Research Consortium, which the Academy co-convenes with our friends at the Roosevelt Institute, was thrilled to kick off a public virtual event series that centers disabled people in conversations about affordability and economic policymaking. These events aim to elevate research, lived experience, and policy solutions that ensure conversations about affordability and the economy include—and are shaped by—the voices of disabled people.
It shouldn’t cost more to live with a disability—but for millions of Americans, it does. Disabled people often face a “disability squeeze”: higher everyday costs alongside structural barriers that make it harder to achieve economic security. Our first conversation examined the drivers of the disability squeeze and considered what it will take to build an economy that truly works for disabled people.
Speakers included:
- Zachary Morris, Stonybrook University
- Mia Ives-Rublee, Disability Justice Initiative, Center for American Progress
- Taryn Williams, National Partnership for Women & Families
- Henry Claypool, Lurie Institute for Disability Policy, Brandeis University
- Rebecca Vallas, National Academy of Social Insurance
- Moderator: Hannah Groch-Begley, Roosevelt Institute