Who We Are
The Institute on Disability and Public Policy at American University is a multidisciplinary, cross-campus research center that creates and disseminates knowledge that enables all persons to participate effectively in local, national, and global governance through the use of accessible information and communication technologies. IDPP leads the AU 2030 Strategic Initiative on Global Disability and Development, and helps to facilitate collaborative research, teaching and outreach programs through its partnerships.
Since 2009, IDPP has been creating groundbreaking, innovative pathways to accessible learning. It built the world's first virtual graduate institute on disability and public policy through the vision and support of The Nippon Foundation.
Our Core Focus Areas:
Global, Regional and National Disability Policy
Inclusive Sustainable Development
Accessible Global Governance
Inclusive Cities and Urban Development
Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction
Information and Communication Technologies for Development
Accessible Robotics
Accessible Cyberlearning
Accessibility, Assistive Technologies and Universal Design
News
Submit your paper to the AI Safety, Cybersecurity, and Inclusion Through Advanced Text Analytics minitrack, which seeks a wide range of theoretical and empirical papers that employ natural language processing (NLP), text mining, and text analytics techniques to better understand and improve decision making in AI safety, cybersecurity, and inclusion.
At the 4th renewal of the UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance, prominent scholars discussed global cooperation and the evolving landscape of international relations. IDPP Executive Director, Dr. Derrick Cogburn, showcased his work in inclusive internet governance.
IDPP Executive Director, Dr. Derrick L. Cogburn, served as a panelist at the 2024 NASIG Summit in Puerto Rico, contributing expertise on trust in virtual interactions and governing the global digital economy while advocating for inclusive internet access.
A new minitrack, "AI Safety, Cybersecurity, and Inclusion through Advanced Text Analytics," has been approved for the 58th Annual The Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. IDPP anticipates breakthroughs in disability inclusion methods through this AI-centered research.
Dr. Cogburn, Excutive Director of the IDPP, will participate in cyberspace policy discussions at the 2024 NASIG Summit in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where experts convene to shape internet governance.
In an effort to enhance public safety, foster innovation, and minimize risk, The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is launching the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC). Several reputable scholars within the American University Kogod School of Business will take part in the launch of this consortium on AI safety.
The Hawaii International Conference on System Services (HICSS) is an annual conference that unites top scholars, researchers, and professionals in the field of system sciences. The conference ranks extraordinarily high amongst several Information Systems and Management Information Systems conferences. Dr. Derrick L. Cogburn, Dr. Nanette S. Levinson, and Dr. Filippo Trevisan, Deputy Director of of the Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP), share leadership roles in the minitrack on Social Media: Culture, Identity, and Inclusion. At HICSS-57, Dr. Cogburn and his team showcased their research in multiple minitracks. Contributors to the various minitracks also include American University faculty members Dr. Francis Armour, Assistant Professor of Information Technology and Analytics and Dr. J. Alberto Espinosa, Professor Information Technology and Analytics in the Kogod School of Business.
Brendan Sailing, in conjunction with the American University Institute on Disability and Public Policy, are hosting the 2nd Annual Navigating Differences Symposium on Saturday, September 9th, from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at American University in Washington, DC. The symposium is designed to explore the role of outdoor experiential education to empower and develop life skills for youth with learning differences, and to help participants learn about and share strategies for supporting them. Teachers, trainers, instructors, therapists, coaches, students, and parents are welcome. In addition, the symposium will feature a screening of the inspiring film “Normal Isn’t Real” featuring stories about four young adults with LD/ADHD issues sharing their journeys to success in work and school, and the strategies they use to manage their challenges. The screening will be followed by an interactive panel discussion.
Many university researchers, including faculty and doctoral students, are facing tremendous challenges maintaining an active research program during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Friday, November 13, 2020, at 12:00 pm EST, IDPP Executive Director Dr. Derrick Cogburn will host a virtual fireside chat to discuss strategies for researchers to exploit the opportunities currently available within this challenging period.
Earlier this year, IDPP Deputy Director Filippo Trevisan published a new journal article in the journal Social Media + Society that discussed the experience of voters with disabilities using social media platforms to keep up with elections and discussing politics with others. 2020 has been a year filled with heartache, swift transitions, and introductions of our “new normal.”