Disability Economic Policy Research Consortium

WHO WE ARE

The Disability Economic Policy & Research Consortium is a cross-sector initiative co-convened by the Roosevelt Institute and the National Academy of Social Insurance. We bring together thought leaders from disability rights and justice organizations, economic policy think tanks, academic institutions, and grassroots advocacy groups to tackle one of the most entrenched and overlooked injustices in U.S. policy: the systemic link between disability and poverty.

With support from the Ford Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation, the Consortium convenes leaders from more than 50 institutions in ongoing collaboration.

Our shared mission:
to close research gaps, catalyze transformative policy change, and dismantle the structural barriers that keep disabled people from full economic participation and security. Guided by a vision of disability economic justice, we aim to shift the narrative, grow the evidence base, and make visible what too often goes unmeasured and unaddressed.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

Economic policy is disability policy — and that full economic participation for disabled people is not a privilege, but a human right.

Disability economic justice means creating a society where every disabled person—especially those who are multiply marginalized—has the freedom, support, and opportunity to live a dignified, empowered, and creative life.

It requires centering the lived experiences of disabled people and applying a disability lens across all policymaking—from employment to education, health care to housing, public benefits to tech and transportation.

We hold a bold and necessary vision:

A future where every disabled person has access to…

Safe, stable, accessible housing
Reliable, affordable transportation
Inclusive, high-quality education
Equitable jobs and wages—with accommodations and paid leave
Robust public benefits free from outdated penalties
Community-based care and culturally competent services
Health care that meets the full spectrum of need
Legal systems that provide fairness, access, and support
The right to vote and participate in democracy
Wealth-building opportunities and economic mobility
Assistive technology and broadband without surveillance
Emergency planning and climate policies that don’t leave disabled people behind

This is the future we are building—through research, collaboration, and bringing a disability lens across economic policy.

Economic Policy Is Disability Policy

OUR SUPPORTERS

Want to learn more or get involved?

We welcome outreach from anyone working at the intersection of disability and economic policy — weather you’re an organization, a policy advocate, a researcher or someone who wants to support this work.