ACD Working Group on Diversity, Subgroup on Individuals with Disabilities

Background

NIH established the Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) Working Group on Diversity (WGD), Subgroup on Individuals with Disabilities to dedicate time and resources to identify strategies that support individuals with disabilities in the biomedical research workforce. Individuals with disabilities experience unique challenges in pursuing and maintaining biomedical research careers that may differ from the experiences of other underrepresented groups.

Charge

The Subgroup on Individuals with Disabilities is charged with supporting the ACD WGD to assist, in turn, the ACD with its advice to the NIH Director on how to best support individuals with disabilities in the scientific workforce. The subgroup will systematically identify:

  • Strategies to enhance data collection focused on individuals with disabilities in the scientific workforce
  • Current data and trends on the prevalence of individuals with disabilities in the scientific workforce at various career stages
  • Evidence-based practices for supporting individuals with disabilities, accounting for variation in disability type
  • Programs with demonstrated success in supporting individuals with disabilities
  • Perspectives of individuals with disabilities

The subgroup intends to capture this information in a whitepaper along with detailed proposed suggestions for how NIH might bolster its efforts to support individuals with disabilities in biomedical research. The whitepaper and proposed suggestions will be submitted to the ACD WGD and, in turn, to the ACD for review and approval.

Related Resources

Roster

  • Kim D. Anderson, Ph.D.
    Professor, Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
    MetroHealth System and Case Western Reserve University
  • Alberto Esquenazi, M.D.
    John Otto Haas Chair and Professor Department of PMR
    Chief Medical Officer, MossRehab
  • Jean P. Hall, Ph.D.
    Director, Institute for Health & Disability Policy Studies
    University of Kansas
  • Susan M. Havercamp, Ph.D., FAAIDD, NADD-CC
    Director of Health and Health Care Parity
    Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and Psychology
    The Ohio State University Nisonger Center
  • Corey L. Moore, Rh.D.
    Director/Principal Investigator, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Research and Capacity Building for Minority Entities
    Professor and Chair, Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies
    Langston University
  • Philip Zazove, M.D.
    Professor and Chair
    The George A. Dean, M.D. Chair of Family Medicine
    Department of Family Medicine
    University of Michigan Medical School

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

  • Nicole Lang
    Health Program Specialist,
    Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity (COSWD) Office,
    Office of the Director
    National Institutes of Health

CO-CHAIRS

  • Steven Barnett, M.D.
    Professor, Departments of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
    Director, Rochester Prevention Research Center: National Center for Deaf Health Research
  • Lisa I. Iezzoni, M.D., M.Sc.
    Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
    Health Policy Research Center, Mongan Institute
    Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Bonnielin Swenor Ph.D., M.P.H.
    Director, The Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center
    Associate Professor, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
    Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

  • Theresa Cruz, Ph.D.
    Director, National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research
    Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
    National Institutes of Health
  • Kathleen Mann Koepke, Ph.D.
    Program Director, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
    Chair, NIH ABILITIES Employee Resource Group
    National Institutes of Health
  • Adam M. Politis, M.S., CCC-SLP, CPACC
    Acting Principal Strategist for People with Disabilities
    Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
    National Institutes of Health
  • David P. Rice, Jr.
    Acting Director, Special Emphasis Program Branch
    Diversity and Inclusion Division
    Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
    National Institutes of Health

This page last reviewed on January 15, 2018