Dr. Margaret (Peg) Nosek was a disabled woman, researcher, and advocate who made sure that the experiences of women with disabilities were acknowledged and respected by psychologists and other healthcare professionals
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Dr. Nosekopens in new window was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a progressive physical disability. As a woman with a severe disability, Dr. Nosek saw that the needs and experiences of women with disabilities were often ignored and poorly understood by researchers and healthcare professionals alike. She founded the Center for Research on Women with Disabilities at the Baylor College of Medicine to help address this gap in research and knowledge.
Dr. Nosek and her colleagues published groundbreaking research on the high rates of abuse and violence against women with disabilities, including disability-specific forms of abuse (e.g., taking away someone’s wheelchair or refusing to help someone with an important task like eating or going to the bathroom). She also shed light on how the medical needs and experiences of women with disabilities were often ignored, downplayed, or dismissed by healthcare professionals and developed programs to help women with disabilities advocate effectively for their health and safety. Dr. Nosek was in the forefront of using technology to reach women with disabilities, bringing interactive learning resources to women with disabilities all over the world via the Second Life online platform on self-esteem and related topics.
Nosek, M. A., Foley, C. C., Hughes, R. B., & Howland, C. A. (2001). Vulnerabilities for abuse among women with disabilities. Sexuality and Disability, 19, 177–189. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1013152530758opens in new window
Nosek, M. A., Howland, C., Rintala, D. H., Young, M. E., & Chanpong, G. F. (2001). National study of women with physical disabilities: Final report. Sexuality and Disability, 19, 5–40. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1010716820677opens in new window
Nosek, M. A., Hughes, R. B., Petersen, N. J., Taylor, H. B., Robinson-Whelen, S., Byrne, M., & Morgan, R. (2006). Secondary conditions in a community-based sample of women with physical disabilities over a 1-year period. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 87(3), 320–327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2005.11.003opens in new window
Physical Disability, Women, Health, Violence
The development of resources to broaden diversity and representation in the teaching of high school psychology resources is an APA Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools initiative supported by funding from the American Psychological Foundation David and Carol Myers Fund. This resource was developed by Kara Ayers, PhD; Emily Lund, PhD; Erika Sanborne; and Allison Shaver.