A photo of Kara Ayers.

Kara B. Ayers, PhD


  • Associate Director, UCEDD, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
  • Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

About

PhD: Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 2011.

MS: Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 2007.

BS: Wright State University, Dayton, OH, 2003.

Interests

Parenting with disabilities; youth with disabilities/chronic illness and transitions into adulthood

Interests

Co-founder of Disabled Parenting Project, research initiative studying the experiences of parents with disabilities

Research Areas

Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Publications

Selected

No body is expendable: Medical rationing and disability justice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Andrews, EE; Ayers, KB; Brown, KS; Dunn, DS; Pilarski, CR. American Psychologist. 2021; 76:451-461.

Selected

Experiences of Breastfeeding among Disabled Women. Andrews, EE; Powell, RM; Ayers, KB. Women's Health Issues. 2021; 31:82-89.

Selected

Raising awareness of disabled lives and health care rationing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lund, EM; Ayers, KB. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. 2020; 12:S210-S211.

Selected

Fostering disability advocates: A framework for training future leaders through interprofessional education. Weber, S; Smith, J; Ayers, K; Gerhardt, J. Psychological Services. 2020.

Recommendations to improve the patient experience and avoid bias when prenatal screening/testing. Meredith, S; Brackett, S; Diaz, KM; Freeman, KG; Huggins, E; Khan, H; Leach, MW; Levitz, M; Michie, M; Onufer, J; et al. Disability and Health Journal. 2022.

Ever-changing but always constant: "Waves " of disability discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Lund, EM; Ayers, KB. Disability and Health Journal. 2022; 15.

The evolution of disability language: Choosing terms to describe disability. Andrews, EE; Powell, RM; Ayers, K. Disability and Health Journal. 2022; 15.

COVID-19 vaccine website accessibility dashboard. Jo, G; Habib, D; Varadaraj, V; Smith, J; Epstein, S; Zhu, J; Yenokyan, G; Ayers, K; Swenor, BK. Disability and Health Journal. 2022; 15.

A standard set of outcome measures for the comprehensive assessment of osteogenesis imperfecta. Nijhuis, W; Franken, A; Ayers, K; Damas, C; Folkestad, L; Forlino, A; Fraschini, P; Hill, C; Janus, G; Kruse, R; et al. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 2021; 16.

Evaluation of a Pilot Healthy Eating and Exercise Program for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disabilities. Nabors, L; Overstreet, A; Carnahan, C; Ayers, K. 2021; 5:413-430.

From the Blog

How to Talk to Kids About People with Disabilities
Blog Child Development and Behavior

How to Talk to Kids About People with Disabilities

By Kara Ayers, PhD1/25/2022