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DrKaraAyers

@drkaraayers.bsky.social
764 followers 1K following 184 posts

Professor, Researcher, Writer, Speaker, & Proud Mom & Wife with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Director @ThinkEquitable Striving for change|Views are mine.

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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
I've really enjoyed collaborating with @mcdglobalhealth.bsky.social on the development of their Screening for All resources: mcd.org/screening-fo...
mcd.org
Screening for All | MCD Global Health
Screening For All, funded by the CDC, aims to address barriers that people with disabilities face in accessing preventive health screenings.
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New Disabled South @newdisabledsouth.org · 08/04/2026
BIG NEWS! DUAL: The True Cost of Care is a Webby nominee (Video & Film: Public Service & Activism) and a honoree (Podcasts: Documentary). This belongs to the people who trusted us with their stories 🧡 Vote for DUAL here: vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting... Watch DUAL here: youtu.be/UqBuozWHdgs?...
vote.webbyawards.com
Vote for the best of the internet
I just voted in The Webby People's Voice Awards and checked my voter registration.
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
.@gaelynnlea.bsky.social Less than a week until #pubday! Congrats on this coverage and safe to say you are a WRITER without the quotes 😂 I'll never understand headline "writers" when disability is involved!
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Dan Immergluck @danimmergluck.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Brutal.
A WHOLE CIVILIZATION
WILL DIE TONIGHT
My son needs lunch, and I have to put his backpack together, but a whole civilization will die tonight, so I'm wondering if they've closed their schools.
Like, a snow day, maybe, except instead of snow it's
"keep your children home so if you die, you die together" — instead of "well open back up once the plows have cleared" it's
"we don't know if we'll be here tomorrow, hold your babies tight."
It's just "talk" I'm told, which I've been told before.
"It's how the president makes his deals." But I've never heard anyone talk about other human beings this way, and I'm not certain I can look my son in the eyes if we all agree to stomach it one more time.
A civilization will die tonight, but as I zip up his backpack and kiss him off to school I think: if this is what we call leadership then I'm not entirely sure ours isn't already dead.
@michaelfdubois
Mukad A QuBoy
@michacifdubois
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
I'll be moderating tomorrow's Health and Society Session-join me! adata.org/sos-2026
adata.org
2026 ADA State of the Science Research Conference | ADA National Network
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
New Substack article from me with an update on changes to accessible parking policy in 2026-1 good, 2 bad: open.substack.com/pub/mindramp...
open.substack.com
Accessible Parking in 2026: One Win, Two Problems
"More Placards, Fewer Spaces" Florida does one thing right, pregnancy placard laws spread, and telehealth mills make everything worse
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Julia Métraux @juliametraux.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley has a free two-day conference on eugenics in April that looks so cool. belonging.berkeley.edu/eugenics
belonging.berkeley.edu
Legacies of Eugenics – The Conference
Join us at the University of California, Berkeley on April 10 - 11, 2026 for a gathering that will explore the persistence of eugenic logics and practices in science, medicine, and technology and how ...
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Sergio Perez @sergioperez.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Abuse isn’t enough, they have to silence kids too: “They threw away all my drawings,” said 15-year-old Cariexis Quintero… . Her mother, displaying a pile of colorful paper scraps, detailed how the guards “stormed into her room looking for drawings and letters” & then “destroyed what they found”
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Welcome to bluesky @ccos-ctsa.bsky.social I've enjoyed my time on the working group focused on inclusion of ppl with disabilities in research.
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Kay Coghill, PhD. @drkalyncoghill.blacksky.team · 06/02/2026
Being a Disability Rising Fellow for @disabilitylab.bsky.social is changing my life! I am going to be sad when it ends in June!
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Emily Ladau @emilyladau.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Gaelynn's writing is such a joy to read. Absolutely worth getting on the pre-order bandwagon!
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Excited to purchase the upcoming memoir from @gaelynnlea.bsky.social fellow OIer and incredible musician/artist/worldchanger. Preordering books is a meaningful way to support authors.
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
I don't want to think about how many many many hours we all poured into opposing this inhumane attempt to eliminate important work...when we could have instead been doing the important work.
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
Narratives that excuse or justify murder based on the perceived burden of disability are not only disrespectful and ableist to the victims but they devalue the lives of the living. Push back on these narratives. Solidarity with my Australian disabled friends💗
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
Gymnastics meet, diving meet, and 2 indoor softball games on the books tomorrow! Enjoy the weekend y'all!
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
I didn't used to mind going to the dentist-now I dread it. They never fail to make ridiculous comments about how well I operate my wheelchair 🙄 I've considered many times finding a new place but how do you query for that?! "Yes-hello-new patient here. Do you routinely insult your patients?"
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Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition. Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology
She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.
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Bill Corbett @billcorbett.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Can comfirm from MN, as can anyone who lives here, that not a THING has changed except little Bovino isnt peacocking around the streets anymore. And there hasn’t been a third high-profile murder of a white person yet. But the gestapo attacks haven’t stopped. At all! bsky.app/profile/jyse...
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Offline moments this weekend: 1) Valentine shopping with my youngest while waiting for softball practice across town 2) a long overdue workout complete with cardio and weights 🏋️‍♀️3) baked and iced cookies 4) attempted a new pork loin recipe that was admittedly pretty terrible, but I tried!
media.tenor.com
a little girl is standing in front of a door and says `` i did the best i could ''
ALT: a little girl is standing in front of a door and says `` i did the best i could ''
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
Memorable College Classes [undergrad edition]: 1. Short Story Writing 2. Middle Eastern Studies 3. Psychology 101 4. Adapted Strength Training 5. Physiological Psychology-still traumatized by the requirement to perform an ovariectomy on a mouse
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Elizabeth Lanphier @ethicselizabeth.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
Sharing with AltText
MY STATEMENT ON PROTECTING OHIO'S HAITIAN COMMUNITY
As I travel the state, I hear the same thing that Governor DeWine has heard from Ohioans: they are concerned about their Haitian neighbors and about the economic impact the expiration of TPS for Haitian Americans will have on their communities.
That's why I'm calling on the Administration to extend TPS for Ohio's Haitian community now. Haitian Americans don't have a safe place to return to in Haiti and our communities across Ohio depend on them to help our local economy thrive.
I'm calling on Governor Mike DeWine and Senators Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno to put Ohio communities first and join my call to extend TPS for the Haitian community. 
Sherrod Brown
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💖💄 Aoife ♿💖 @aoiferocksitout.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
Are you in NYC and rely on functioning elevators in order to access the subway? Check out www.transitaccess.org, which provides real-time service information on all of the elevators in the subway system! Doing what the MTA somehow can't do! Pass it on! ✨
transitaccess.org
Transit Access
A real-time map of elevators in the NYC subway
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Today I'm presenting to the Northwell Health System as part of their Health Equity Event about "Beyond Accommodations: Anti-Ableism in Psychology Training and Supervision". It's a new talk for me and I'm excited to share some practical strategies and try out Aha Slides as well.
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Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg @theradr.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
We had eradicated this disease. And now because of targeted disinformation, children, immunocompromised people, elderly folks, and so many others become victims in this proxy war and we have a new avoidable pandemic.
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KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 27/01/2026
New studies show unexpected, long-term health issues from covid, including increased risk of autism in children, cancer relapses, and brain damage. Meanwhile, Trump officials have narrowed covid vaccine recommendations and cut research. @stephaniearmour.bsky.social reports ⤵️
kffhealthnews.org
Trump Policies at Odds With Emerging Understanding of Covid’s Long-Term Harm - KFF Health News
Studies increasingly offer insights into the health risks and burdens faced by people who have had covid infections. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has narrowed covid vaccine recommendations and ...
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KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 16/01/2026
Millions of people who bought health plans on the Obamacare marketplaces face soaring 2026 premium payments. Some are considering going without insurance, taking on extra jobs, or even postponing marriage. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org
As Insurance Prices Rise, Families Puzzle Over Options - KFF Health News
Millions of middle-class Americans who have Affordable Care Act marketplace plans are facing soaring premium payments in 2026. Some people are contemplating big life changes to deal with new rates tha...
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
What would you add to this list? 6 underreported disability stories we hope get more coverage in 2026 discojourno.com/featured-spe...
discojourno.com
Six Underreported Disability Stories We Hope Get More Coverage in 2026 - Disabled Journalists Association
If there's anywhere that needs more reporting, it's Disability. Here are a few stories that went under the radar and should receive more attention in media
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Starting my day earlier with my European colleagues for the Welcome Anti-Ableist Research Cultures. This webinar is discussing how organizations can OWN accessibility and be accountable for social inclusion as well as environmental. Learn about their work here: sheffield.ac.uk/ihuman/waarc
sheffield.ac.uk
WAARC: A Wellcome Trust Institutional Funding for Research Culture Award
Promoting Anti-ableism in the University
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Some days I feel like-100 years from now people will still say "We've never had a disabled person do xyz" or "I'm the first disabled person to do xyz (when they often aren't)" and also "there's no work done in this area (when there is)......not because any of this is true but this is the default.
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
The National Disability Center for Student Success has a new research page and I like the design. Here are 10 study sets to support disabled student success: nationaldisabilitycenter.org/research/
nationaldisabilitycenter.org
Research - National Disability Center for Student Success
Our research focuses on creating accessible higher education environments that support the success of disabled students.
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Our OH225 Taskforce met about next steps towards phasing out subminimum wage for Ohioans with disabilities. Around 3000 people with disabilities in OH get paid less than minimum wage. Is your state working on this (or are you living within this century and already did)? www.ohioapse.org/about-us
ohioapse.org
Ohio 14(C) Task Force | 14(c)taskforceohio
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Melody Schreiber @melodyschreiber.com · 15/01/2026
Important to highlight: This move is coming from African health officials. It signals that “the institutions are getting stronger” by pushing back on unethical and exploitative studies in Africa, @boghuma.bsky.social said. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled
$1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Just pondering how much I miss the great cicada invasion of 2025.
a cicada who looks to be smiling in a wheelchair. This is an AI-generated image.
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Erin Biba @erinbiba.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
For your own good and for the good of humanity I am making it my personal mission to get you all to become good fact checkers.
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Michelle Cohen @docmcohen.medsky.social · 10/01/2026
This is it. The murderer's video shows two women not appropriately deferential to the Big Manly Cops. The goal is to pathologize women who seem unafraid of men. Arguing that medication causes people to break Nature's Laws is an old, established tactic of reactionaries and fascists everywhere.
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GolgariGlenRoss @golgariglenross.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
The tag on its vest only makes me want to pet it MORE.
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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 04/01/2026
If you're a family member of an autistic person, you are more likely to have autistic traits. Research says so, which is nice because autistic people have also been saying so just about forever. ;) www.vanderbilt.edu/autismandinn... #autism #neurodiversity #autistic
vanderbilt.edu
Meeting Families Where They Are: Dr. Amy Weitlauf on Rethinking Autism Diagnosis
Dr. Amy Weitlauf is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Associate Director of Research at TRIAD (Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum D...
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Asawin Suebsaeng @swin24.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
The only way the next democratic administration is going to do anything even somewhat resembling reforming and rooting out lawless thugs from ICE and elsewhere is due to sustained popular pressure. Otherwise, the instinct from the Dem elite to just turn the page and move on is going to be massive
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Two pharma companies have invested millions and multiple years in what many had hoped would be the first treatment for Osteogenesis imperfecta. On Friday, December 26, the companies announced the trials had failed. I wrote about what this means: mindramps.substack.com/p/rare-disea...
mindramps.substack.com
Rare Disease, Common Pattern
On failed Osteogenesis Imperfecta drug trials, conflicted endpoints, and the pharmaceutical companies who will sunset us
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
✍️New publication alert (co-authored by me)Psychiatric Comorbidities and Treatment Modalities in Children With Osteogenesis Imperfecta: A Systematic Review of Mental Health - Morales - American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A - Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Psychiatric Comorbidities and Treatment Modalities in Children With Osteogenesis Imperfecta: A Systematic Review of Mental Health
To evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric signs and symptoms and describe psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological interventions among children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). PRISMA guidelines...
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
If a clinical trial company can't even use the right wheelchair in their ads, what else are they getting wrong? New piece on why those weird stock photos should make you suspicious—and the 7 questions to ask any recruitment company. open.substack.com/pub/mindramp...
open.substack.com
You're Not Their Customer: A Reality Check on Clinical Trial Recruitment
What the rare disease community should know about PatientWing, patient recruitment, and the ethics of clinical trial advertising.
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
Good advice for Thanksgiving discussions but also some good scripting for tough talks in general: theunbiasedscipod.substack.com/p/a-survival...
theunbiasedscipod.substack.com
A Survival Guide for Thanksgiving Dinner Conversations About Health and Science
Pass the Potatoes, Hold the Panic
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Popehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
I would rather live next door to someone who speaks another language than live next door to someone who doesn’t want to live near people who speak other languages. I know nothing about Person A but I know person B is a shitbird.
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
Agree with Adams (keynote at #ASBH25) that we should always be aware of the role of money driving everything. Disagree that we can’t/don’t ever imagine better ways beyond hyperfixation on capitalism.
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
Thought provoking keynote by Jerome Adams for #ASBH25 abt finding where we can work together w ppl w different viewpoints….but I’d like to ask-at what point are you complicit in the harm?
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Julia Métraux @juliametraux.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
VACCINES ROCK www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025...
washingtonpost.com
Study finds mRNA coronavirus vaccines prolonged life of cancer patients
A study found that covid-19 vaccines appeared to awaken the immune system in lung and skin cancer patients, helping them live longer than those not vaccinated.
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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 23/10/2025
People before power. Always. Support truth-telling journalism: buff.ly/pbcGNpl
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
Annnnd I’m in Portland for the #ASBH25 annual meeting. Speaking on ableism at the bedside and how hospital visitation policies impact disabled people.
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DrKaraAyers @drkaraayers.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
Just watched this awesome youth and autistic led video at #PCORI2025 which provided a study update in plain language: notless.org/research/
notless.org
Research – Different Not Less
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