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          Dr. Anjali J. Forber-Pratt Joins ACL as Director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) Dr. Anjali J. Forber-Pratt Joins ACL as Director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)
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                          Speeches and Testimony May 24, 2021
      

            Photo of Anjali and her service dog, Kolton. Anjali has brown skin, brown eyes and long, curly black hair that she is wearing in a ponytail that drapes over her left shoulder. She is wearing blue jeans and a teal long-sleeved cowl-neck sweater. Kolton is a black lab wearing a blue and black harness. Anjali is sitting in her wheelchair, and Kolton is standing to her right with his front legs on her lap.*Photo of Anjali and her service dog, Kolton. Anjali has brown skin, brown eyes and long, curly black hair that she is wearing in a ponytail that drapes over her left shoulder. She is wearing blue jeans and a teal long-sleeved cowl-neck sweater. Kolton is a black lab wearing a blue and black harness. Anjali is sitting in her wheelchair, and Kolton is standing to her right with his front legs on her lap.*Dr. Anjali J. Forber-Pratt has joined ACL as the director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).
Dr. Forber-Pratt began her research career in 2006, and her primary area of expertise is disability identity development. Prior to joining ACL, she served as an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University. In addition to teaching courses and serving as a mentor to undergraduate students and thesis advisor for candidates for master’s and doctoral degrees, she served as principal investigator for research projects covering a range of disability issues, including training of special education teachers, experiences of students with disabilities at every education level, and identity development. She has authored 33 peer-reviewed journal articles and is the author or co-author of a number of textbook chapters.
A two-time Paralympian and medalist in the sport of wheelchair racing, Dr. Forber-Pratt has dedicated her life to helping others recognize their potential. Globally, she is involved with disability advocacy efforts related to access to employment, education and sports. She was honored with the inaugural American Psychological Association Citizen Psychologist Award for Advancing Disability as a Human Rights and Social Justice Issue Award in 2020 and was recognized by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education as a 2018 Emerging Scholar. In 2013, she was awarded the American Association of People with Disabilities’ prestigious Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award, given to emerging leaders within the national disability community. Also in 2013, she was named a Champion of Change by the White House and had an opportunity to participate in a roundtable discussion with President Obama about disability policy issues.

                    *Last modified on 05/24/2021*
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