March is Women’s History Month, declared by Presidential decree, and we’re taking some time to recognize the achievements of many notable women with disabilities in the arts, sciences, activism, and more. Today, we would like to celebrate several members of the NIDILRR grantee community who have disabilities and who are making history with their research:
Margaret A. Nosek, PhD, a NIDILRR grantee for more than 25 years, focuses her research on topics related to women with disabilities, with recent research on a virtual reality weight management intervention for women with mobility impairments, an internet-based self-esteem intervention for women with disabilities, and reducing the risk factors for abuse among low-income minority women with disabilities. Dr. Nosek has published extensively about her research, including over 90 publications that can be found in the NARIC Collection.
Dorothy E. Nary, PhD, a NIDILRR Switzer fellow and member of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Promoting Interventions for Community Living, has studied the impact of non-visitable homes on wheelchair users. Her research has also explored health promotion and increasing access to exercise, resiliency in adults with physical disabilities in rural communities, as well as the employment and vocational rehabilitation concerns of people with traditional and emerging disabilities. Dr. Nary published “Making Homes More ‘Visitable’ for Wheelchair Users and Potential Hosts” (available free in full text from the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation). Explore publications by Dr. Nary in the NARIC Collection.
LaWanda H. Cook, PhD, has focused her NIDILRR-funded field initiated research on the strategies and resources used by people with disabilities who are successfully employed as they strive to balance their work and non-work lives, and the role of employers in supporting longer and more satisfying work lives. As part of the Northeast ADA Regional Center and other projects, she has explored inclusive workplace wellness, bullying in the workplace, the significance of leisure for employees with disabilities, and of Veterans with disabilities. Dr. Cook’s publications related to employment and people with disabilities can be found in the NARIC Collection.
Cherie Blauwet, MD, is Director of Dissemination and Knowledge Translation for the Spaulding-New England Regional Spinal Cord injury Center whose research has included participation of people with spinal cord injury and other disabilities in physical activity and adaptive sports. She is also the Disability Access and Awareness Director for the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network. Dr. Blauwet is a former Paralympian and currently chair of the International Paralympic Committee’s Medical Commission. She is a global advocate for sport and physical activity to promote a healthy lifestyle for all people with disabilities. Explore Dr. Blauwet’s publications indexed in the NARIC collection.
They are just four of the amazing women with disabilities who are changing the lives of people with disabilities and making history through their research. NARIC is proud to know them and we look forward to seeing the research that they produce in the coming years!
If you would like to know more about their work, search for their publications in REHABDATA or contact NARIC’s information specialists.