🚨New working paper alert! 🚨 The US spends huge $ on special education services for students with disabilities. Is that spending effective? Today we released a working paper suggesting it is. "Special Education Substantially Improves Learning: Evidence from Three States" Let me explain...

You know your TBR list has gotten long when you see “book flight” on your to do list and don’t think booking a plane ticket (which was correct) but instead think it means a flight of books 👀

So excited to see this in print at National Tax Journal!

A stunning (yet unsurprising) graph of who gets identified for special versus gifted education in Oregon. Graph reported by @mattbarnum.bsky.social.

SSI supports 7.4M low-income seniors & people with disabilities but outdated rules and low benefits leave millions in poverty. Our new paper from @socio-steve.bsky.social and @jacklandry.bsky.social models what would happen if Congress modernized SSI. The results are striking. 🧵👇 Full report:

Idaho's proposal to essentially end home care is the first sign that last year's tax cut bill could be disastrous for people with disabilities in the U.S. Terrific, worrisome story from @slooterman.bsky.social 19thnews.org/2026/03/idah...

I'm thrilled to announce a new report I wrote with @ksavin.bsky.social and @calliefreitag.bsky.social on the impact of DOGE/Trump 2.0 turmoil on Social Security disability programs. As the title says, these programs have always been tough to navigate. But in the last year, they've gotten worse.

Excited to share two big announcements: I successfully defended my dissertation today, and I'll be returning to University of South Florida as an assistant professor in economics this fall!! So excited to be a Bull again! 🤘

As promised, today @rooseveltinstitute.org releases a blog post previewing our topline findings from @jacklandry.bsky.social and my upcoming paper analyzing the impacts and costs of the SSI Restoration act of 2024! rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/how-to-...

Last February, the Trump administration zeroed out funding for all six Retirement and Disability Research Consortia across the country. They called them “wasteful government DEI programs.” The total annual cost of all six centers? $15 million.

You know the REAL worst part of ChatGPT? Its over-reliance on em dashes in write-ups has made some people think seeing them in writing is indicative of LLM usage No no no: I’ve been over-relying on/misusing em dashes for *decades* — my culture is not a costume

These authors wanted to know whether people with physical disabilities face discrimination in hiring: even when they are equally qualified. So they ran an experiment.

Janet Yellen has inspired myself and so many other female economists. Her dedication to economics and public policy is an inspiration and it was incredible to be there for the first ever Janet Yellen Public Service Award!

For anyone traveling to #ASSA2026 and building their schedule - check out tomorrow morning's 10:15am session on minimum wages! I'm excited to be presenting some new work with Jeff Clemens and Jonathan Meer - the whole session is full of interesting work!

"The driving force behind this increase in reported disabilities is an increase in 'serious trouble concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.'” - @gsgoda.bsky.social & @kevinrinz.bsky.social #Econsky

Had a great weekend back in my old stomping grounds for #SEA2025 🌴 It was wonderful to see new research and to meet up with everyone!

Looking for something to do tomorrow at 8am at #SEA2025?? I’m presenting my JMP tomorrow in Meeting Room 9!

the world is a bit smaller tonight with the death of Alice Wong. if you aren't familiar with who she was please pick up any of her books.

🧵 Rest in power, Alice Wong. @sfdirewolf.bsky.social A trailblazer, a fierce advocate, and a relentless voice for disability rights. Her work changed the landscape for so many. /1

I'm on the #EconJobMarket!🥳 My research examines how childhood trauma from violence shapes household violence in adulthood. My #EconJMP asks: How do trauma histories interact with their partners' experiences to shape intimate partner violence and violence against children? 🧵

I am excited to announce I am on the #EconJobMarket this year! 🎉 My research explores economic barriers for people with disabilities at the intersection of labor, public, and health economics. My #EconJMP examines how reliable transportation transforms outcomes for this population. 🧵1/6

15% of American kids are served by IDEA.

Last month @rooseveltinstitute.org and NASI launched the Disability Economic Policy & Research Consortium. Read my colleague Lena Bilik's latest below on how a focus on this oft ignore population is crucial to building an inclusive economy. rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/disabil...

For students with disabilities "attending CTE high schools has large positive effects on completing high school on time, employment, and earnings...also results in more time spent with typically developing peers and higher 10th-grade test scores" journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3...

It was a joy and an honor to get to present my work on the impact of ridesharing on economic and social outcomes for people with disabilities at ADvancing States’ 2025 Home and Community-Based Services Conference!

It’s the first day of my fifth year which means it’s time for my fifth annual back to school pic with my cat! ✨

"Florida will phase out certificates of completion for students with disabilities" www.cfpublic.org/education/20...

Hello, Bluesky! This account automatically posts updates when the Census Bureau APIs add or remove datasets. See the full tracker at www.hrecht.com/census-api-d...

🚨 Baby Tapir in Houston 🚨

Statement from the largest economics association about the BLS firing As context: AEA approximately never makes such public statements This is a big deal

Spending this anniversary of the ADA watching PBS’s “Change Not Charity” as a way to remind me how far we’ve come - and how far we still have to go!

FYI: I've updated my list of Useful Data Resources, primarily with a bunch of (20-ish?) new links to state-specific public school datasets and data repositories. go.illinois.edu/UsefulDataRe... Suggestions/corrections are always welcome.

As the ADA turns 35, groups fighting for disability rights could see their federal dollars slashed

The ADA wasn’t a gift – it was the result of relentless advocacy. From the Capitol Crawl to courtroom battles, disabled activists made this moment possible.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have been in the final cohort of fellows in the RDRC. While we may not have the center anymore, the work and community continues on.

Disabled people's access to flexible work is not evenly spread. For more about employment access for disabled people, read 'Opening Doors' ⤵️ : buff.ly/d9KvJpj

If you're not in town, check it out (and a great program all day) live or delayed on youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fu-...

If you're in town for #NBER Summer Institute come check out my talk on the impacts of staffing cuts at the Social Security Administration, 3:30pm in the Skyline room

Rural communities in the US are home to a significant population of people with disabilities, yet #data on their experiences remain limited. New #research outlines the need for data to drive effective rural policy & shares recommendations for advancing rural #disability data. urbn.is/RuralDisabil...

How does unreliable urban transport disproportionately limit women’s access to higher education—and can infrastructure fixes close the gap? @falbav.bsky.social , @wakeforest.bsky.social , discusses: faculti.net/transport-ba... #economics

I love research that debunks myths. #econsky TLDR: Unemployment Insurance may delay re-entry into the labor market, but it helps low income workers find better jobs.

July is Disability Pride Month 🩶❤️💛🤍💚💙🩶 Happy #DisabilityPrideMonth to everyone with visible and invisible disabilities. To everyone who cares for someone with a disability, and to everyone who is gonna learn about disability pride this month. Disability Pride is a fight and a celebration⭐

Whether visible or invisible, permanent or temporary, almost all of us will have or know someone with a disability. As Mayor, I’ll fight like hell for truly accessible public transit.

NEW: We submitted a public comment opposing the Department of Energy's attempt to eliminate long-established requirements that DOE buildings be accessible to people with disabilities. This proposal is a violation of federal disability protections.

As a reminder - accessibility is for EVERYONE, regardless of disability status!

Disability Policy Friends: I haven't seen too many posts about this so I want to make sure people are aware. The Department of Energy is attempting to roll back certain Section 504 protections and will do so unless they receive "significant adverse comments" by June 16th.

Once again, I find myself thinking of the press release announcing that the Social Security Administration was unilaterally cancelling funding for all Retirement and Disability Research Consortia. It called the centers “wasteful initiatives.” All of them had a combined cost of about $15 million.

Almost one-half of families with children in poverty who are not working contain an adult with a disability or limiting health condition. Read more in our recent research on child poverty ⤵️ buff.ly/hbdiilh

EXTREMELY BAD NEWS for economic research, per former BLS Commissioner @ericagroshen.bsky.social on LinkedIn. BLS is suspending access to its restricted data "for the forseeable future." Applies to projects through the Federal Statistical Research Data Centers & onsite projects with BLS. #EconSky

As someone working on a project that uses Census data related to internet access, let me just say “yikes”