John Kramer, PhD, Alumni, Disability Studies Program

John's Bio

John Kramer earned his PhD in Disability Studies while working in the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging with Developmental
Disabilities at the University of Illinois at Chicago.   His dissertation was on the mutual support roles between siblings and people with disabilities. John is currently working as a research associate at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston on a variety of studies related to employment of people with disabilities. He is currently interested in employer engagement, consumer empowerment, and various other evaluation activities at ICI. John also has ongoing leadership position in the Sibling Leadership Network, a growing movement of brothers and sisters of people with disabilities and siblings with disabilities interested in policy, services, and research related to siblings. His current interest in siblings focuses on the roles that siblings with and without disabilities play in each others' lives in planning for the future.

IDHD: John, please tell us more about your involvement with the community?

John: I have worked with brothers and sisters of people with disabilities in multiple ways. Locally, I have been working with a newly-formed group of brothers and sisters of people with disabilities called Supporting Illinois Brothers and Sisters (SIBS). Nationally, I have been involved in the Sibling Leadership Network. Through these two organizations I have connected with countless siblings across Illinois and the nation and have learned that brothers and sisters are very concerned about their siblings futures. I've also learned that they are an untapped constituency that, I believe, will have an important voice in the years to come as our society undergoes changes in policy, leadership, and service delivery. The knowledge I have gained through working with the sibling community will guide my work in the future. For one thing, my research will be rooted in the interests of siblings and self-advocates.

IDHD: How did IDHD/DHD facilitate your involvement?

John: The Institute on Disability and Human Development played a key role in the development of the SLN because it provided access to the network of University Centers across the country. This was vital as this organization is building upon connections with University Centers in Ohio and Tennessee. The University of the Virgin Islands UCE has also been involved in the network.