Disability Research in the Current Sociopolitical Climate

Over the past twenty years that has been a growing emphasis on disability-related research among social work researchers. There is an expanding cadre of social work disability researchers who receive federal funding to support their research through agencies such as the National Institute for Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), present their research findings at SSWR and other national forums, publish their results in top disability journals, and translate their findings into practice and policy interventions. However, during the first quarter of 2025, we have seen numerous attacks on disability policy, services, and research. This includes the dismantling of the Administration of Community Living, which funds much of the disability research as well as critical independent living, respite and other services to people with disabilities, threats to significantly cut Medicaid, threats to the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and attacks on people with disabilities as part of broader attacks on equity. The National Science Foundation is flagging key disability concepts in grant proposals, such as accessibility and inclusion, as well as the term "disability" itself. While much is up in the air at the time of this proposal and certainly there will be many changes by January 2026, there are concerns among social work researchers who focus on disability issues about how to continue their work. The purpose of this roundtable is to discuss current logistical, methodological, and ethical issues in conducting disability-related research within the current sociopolitical constraints. The roundtable will be organized into three parts. First, one of the panelists will provide a brief overview current sociopolitical context and how this effects disability research, including funding constraints, availability of data, federal and state regulations limiting their work, concerns for research participants, as well as other issues which will arise. Each panelist will then briefly discuss how their work has been affected. Second, one of the panelists will briefly discuss strategies for continuing research despite current constraints, such as applying to alternative funding sources, using alternative data repositories, or engaging even more in participatory approaches, and then each of the other panelists will discuss their own strategies. During this section we will focus carefully on ethical issues that might arise when trying to adapt to the changing environment, such as self-censorship, as well as career concerns of early career scholars. Finally, we will discuss new avenues of social work disability research that might be needed related to massive federal changes, such as how the disruption in services affected disabled people's quality of lives, or strategies for retention of the disability support workforce. The roundtable will be aimed both at researchers with extensive research experience in disability issues, as well as newer investigators who are beginning their research careers and researchers who are interested in moving into the area of disability research.