Are you a fan of podcasts? We are! We listen to them while working out, cooking, driving, and relaxing. They can be entertaining, engaging, and educational. For researchers, podcasts offer a way to share their research with a wide audience. Several NIDILRR grantees produce podcasts available on many channels. Here are a few examples:
ADA Regional Centers
ADA Live from the Southeast ADA Regional Center features more than 90 episodes covering a wide array of topics around the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Disability Rights Today, also from the Southeast ADA Regional Center, explores the facts, issues, and arguments of important court cases that have shaped the ADA, and how these cases may have changed the legal rights and lives of people with disabilities.
Ask About the ADA from the Northeast ADA Regional Center highlights information and resources around the ADA, covering the basics and diving into specific topics like accessibility at outdoor events and the ADA in the US Virgin Islands.
Adventures in Accessibility from the Rocky Mountain ADA Regional Center features guests speaking about their adventures and misadventures with accessibility.
Research and Development Grantees
Collab Chats from the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Community Living and Participation of People with Serious Mental Illness features researchers and individuals with lived experience in serious mental illness discussing diverse topics such as welcoming spaces, supported employment, and self-directed care.
Participatory Action Research (PAR) Podcast from the RRTC on Health and Function of People with Psychiatric Disabilities features youth and adults in mental health recovery reflecting on the roles they play in the center’s research.
ImpacTech from the Initiative to Mobilize Partnerships for Successful Assistive Technology Transfer (IMPACT Center) features stories of assistive technology researchers and entrepreneurs.
Bladder Buzz from the RRTC on Health and Function for People with Physical Disabilities Focus on Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction covers a range of topics, including the basics of neurogenic bladder and its management, relationships and dating, mental health and wellness, and more.
Other Podcasts
NIDILRR researchers have also been interviewed about their work on these podcasts:
RehabCast from the journal Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation featured research from the Indiana and Ohio Regional TBI Model Systems, Texas TBI Model System of TIRR and Spaulding-Harvard TBI Model System, the project on Innovation in Disability Empowerment and Service Delivery, and many others.
Brain Injury Today from the Brain Injury Alliance of Washington featured Jeanne Hoffman, PhD, of the University of Washington Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Center answering questions about TBI and the COVID-19 vaccine.
Road to Resilience from Mount Sinai featured Kristen Dams-O’Connor, PhD, from the New York TBI Model System at Mount Sinai discussing research on resilience and TBI.
Full Pre-Frontal Podcast featured Ann Glang, PhD, discussing how TBI differs from other disabilities.
From Pages to Practice from the journal Psychiatric Services has featured NIDILRR Fellow Genevra Jones, PhD discussing research on peer specialists in mental health and researchers from the RRTC on Integrated Health Care and Self-Directed Recovery discussing their recent paper on self-directed care.
Assistive Technology Update has featured research from the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center to Support Aging-in-Place for People with Long-Term Disabilities (TechSAge RERC).
Visit our Multimedia Collection for more audio and video resources from the grantees and sign up for the News and Notes newsletter to learn when new resources are published!
Thinking about Podcasting?
Are you a researcher interested in sharing your work through podcasts? Podcasts can be produced with some basic equipment: a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to record sound; a sound editing program (even on your phone); and a quiet place to record. You can use a microphone for higher quality sound. You could also try video podcasting. Here are a few resources to get you started:
- Consider how you’ll talk about your research. Try the Plain Language Summary Tool from the NIDILRR-funded Center on Knowledge Translation for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (KTDRR) and listen to KTDRR’s interviews with people with disabilities to hear how they find, judge, and use research.
- Make sure your podcast can be enjoyed by everyone: Accessibility 101 from the NIDILRR-funded Center on Knowledge Translation for Employment Research.
- How to start a podcast, from the pros at NPR.
- Scientists ride the podcasting wave from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
- Reasons why your research should be a podcast from Sage Publishing
Your university or research institution may have a podcast in place where you can be interviewed or may be able to assist you in getting set up for a successful podcast. Check with the press or media office or reach out to your library staff.
Tag us on social media when your podcast debuts so that we can share it!
Collection Spotlight from the National Rehabilitation Information Center 