Black Disability Institute

The Black Disability Institute serves as a bridge between the research community and the black community, through partnering on change strategies and initiatives, conducting community education, and serving as a trusted source of information on the issues that matter most to our community.

Our aim is to shift narratives and expand the dialogue around what it means to be disabled and black and to increase funding for and focus on assessment of the issues that keep black disabled people locked out of equal opportunities for self determination, quality care, and economic independence.

We know that there is deep distrust in the black community around research because of the traumatic history of black people being abused and used by researchers. We also know that black people remain marginalized or excluded from major research initiatives, even those that directly impact our communities.

We conduct original research and participate in existing research that focuses on the lived experiences of Black disabled people in the U.S., with a particular focus on the South where 13.8% of disabled people live and 59% of black people live. BDI brings together thought leaders, data experts, researchers, historians, and others to produce information that will change practices, inform systems leaders, and engage private sector stakeholders on how to treat and care for black disabled people.

We go into communities and conduct community education programs to increase awareness on the importance of research and glean insights to inform our focus on where our research and activities should focus next.

Under the New Disabled South umbrella, Black Disability Institute has three priority pillars: Employment + Poverty, Criminalization, and Democracy, with a current three-year focus on Employment + Poverty.