On September 17, 2025, the National Academy of Social Insurance and the Roosevelt Institute co-hosted the first annual Disability Economic Policy Research Symposium. The Symposium, convened alongside the launch of the Disability Economic Policy Research Consortium, with support from the Ford Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation, highlighted leading voices working at the intersection of disability and economic policy.
The program included the following panels and speakers:
Welcome Remarks
- Rebecca Vallas, National Academy of Social Insurance
- Hannah Groch-Begley, Roosevelt Institute
35 Years After the ADA, Why is the U.S. Economy Still Not Working for Disabled People?
- Maria Town, American Association of People with Disabilities
- Hayley Brown, Center for Economic and Policy Research
- Tracey Gronniger, Justice in Aging
- AJ Link, New Disabled South
- Marissa Ditkowsky, Tzedek DC
- Moderator: Rebecca Vallas, National Academy of Social Insurance
Lightning Talks
- The Disability Squeeze: Zach Morris, Stony Brook University
- The Human Consequences of Administrative Burden: Katie Savin, Ford Fellow in Disability Policy Research, National Academy of Social Insurance; California State University, Sacramento
- Defining Disability: Nanette Goodman, Burton Blatt Institute
- Centering Disability in AI and Tech: Ariana Aboulafia, Center for Democracy and Technology
- Intersectionality and Why it Matters: Kate Caldwell, Northwestern University, Center for Racial and Disability Justice
Building An Economy That Works For Disabled People
- Mia Ives-Rublee, Center for American Progress
- Stephen Nuñez, Roosevelt Institute
- Jaimie Worker, Caring Across Generations
- Kathleen Romig, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- David Jimenez, Niskanen Center
- Moderator: Hannah Groch-Begley, Roosevelt Institute
Closing Remarks
- Rebecca Vallas, National Academy of Social Insurance
- Hannah Groch-Begley, Roosevelt Institute