National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities

06/03/2026

How much of a child’s story belongs online?

A recent article by disability advocate Rebecca Cokley explores the rise of “special needs mommy” influencers and raises important questions about consent, and representation. The piece critiques the use of euphemisms like “special needs,” arguing that this language can distance children from the legal protections and civil rights connected to the term “disability.”

“One side effect of hiding behind euphemisms, I find, is that this habit disconnects children from the civil rights protections that come with the term ‘disability.’ Disability comes with certain protections established by law.”

The article also highlights concerns about reinforcing stereotypes, invading children’s privacy, and the long-term impact extensive online exposure may have on disabled children’s lives. Cokley emphasizes the importance of centering disabled people’s voices and experiences, rather than focusing solely on caregivers’ perspectives.

“When you’re the parent of a disabled child, you’re not the person most impacted. Your child is.”

Read more: https://zurl.co/BRpSL

05/19/2026

One of our researchers, Dr. Kara Ayers, is featured on latest episode of Inclusion Revolution Radio, talking all about parenting with a disability. Check it out! https://zurl.co/z08It

Hosted by Special Olympics North America athlete reporter RJ Nealon, this episode of Inclusion Revolution Radio features guest Dr. Kara Ayers, parent advisor and co-researcher for the Disabled Parenting Project. Part of the National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities, the Disabled…

05/18/2026

One of our researchers, Kara Ayers, spoke about disabled parents on the Special Olympics' podcast! Check it out ⬇️

05/13/2026

Thank you to Disability Belongs for talking about this and for sharing our research 🫶 Happy belated Mother's Day to all!

Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate strength, care, and resilience, and honor the countless ways parents nurture their children. Yet for millions of mothers with disabilities in the United States, this celebration highlights a harsh reality: the systems meant to support families often fail them. Read our new blog post and learn more about how mothers with disabilities deserve better: https://www.disabilitybelongs.org/2026/05/mothers-disabilities-deserve-better/

05/13/2026

2.5 disabled moms live in the US. Learn more below ⬇️

05/13/2026

Recording available now for our webinar on home accessibility! Check it out!

Disabled people often make innovative, cost-effective, and practical modifications to their homes to meet their unique accessibility and parenting needs. In this webinar, parents with a range of disabilities shared the strategies and home adaptations they have implemented to create functional, accessible spaces that support their success as parents.

Watch here: https://zurl.co/vBGE5
View the powerpoint slides: https://zurl.co/nawNm

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Image Description: Home Accessibility for Successful Parenting Webinar. Quote from panelist Patrick Cokley: So if there's anything in this, don't worry about fancy technology. Don't worry about, you know, specific bespoke solutions. Make a plan and execute it the best you can. Icons for ASL and Closed captions are visible to indicate that it comes with the recording.

04/16/2026

Happening TOMORROW! Register now: https://brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_s9NYMas7TjaVtmqGW4BfTQ #/registration

'By the book' home modifications can be expensive and time-consuming, so disabled people often come up with creative, affordable solutions that fit their needs and budgets.

In this webinar, parents with different disabilities will share the changes and strategies they’ve used to make their homes more functional and accessible, helping them succeed as parents.

Register here: https://zurl.co/zPlXO

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Image Description: Webinar flyer on a green background titled “Home Accessibility for Successful Parenting.” The event will be held on April 17, 2026 at 2 PM ET and will take place on Zoom. Closed captions (CC) and ASL will be available. There are four photos of disabled parents of color including Robin Wilson-Beattie, smiling with curly hair and a headband, wearing a light blue top; Keith Jones, wearing glasses and a gray shirt; Patrick Cokley, in glasses and a suit jacket; and Kristin Wilks, with long dark hair and wearing a reddish top.

04/01/2026

"I'd always wanted to be a mum but at the time, it was really hard to imagine what life was going to be like as a parent with a disability or a chronic illness, especially because we're just not often exposed to that in the parenting world".

In this blog post, Megan Blin shares her parenting journey while navigating disability and chronic pain. Read here: https://zurl.co/VJuw9

Megan Blin says her chronic pain made it difficult to do things other first-time mums could.

03/17/2026

'By the book' home modifications can be expensive and time-consuming, so disabled people often come up with creative, affordable solutions that fit their needs and budgets.

In this webinar, parents with different disabilities will share the changes and strategies they’ve used to make their homes more functional and accessible, helping them succeed as parents.

Register here: https://zurl.co/zPlXO

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Image Description: Webinar flyer on a green background titled “Home Accessibility for Successful Parenting.” The event will be held on April 17, 2026 at 2 PM ET and will take place on Zoom. Closed captions (CC) and ASL will be available. There are four photos of disabled parents of color including Robin Wilson-Beattie, smiling with curly hair and a headband, wearing a light blue top; Keith Jones, wearing glasses and a gray shirt; Patrick Cokley, in glasses and a suit jacket; and Kristin Wilks, with long dark hair and wearing a reddish top.

03/09/2026

The first research article we found investigating the involvement of parents with disabilities in the child protection system was published in 1947. Since then, there's been a sharp rise in peer-reviewed research publications investigating this area, with a big jump in 2010s.
Learn more here: https://zurl.co/4MQuy

Image: line graph trending upwards over time. since 1990, there's been more research articles published each year. Data points show studies increase by time: 9 studies, then 3, then 11, 12, 28, 30, then 35 in the years 2020-2023. Text above graph reads: Research studies on the involvement of parents with disabilities in the child protection system has increased, especially since the early 2000s.