Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology

The Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology (CDIP), established in 1985, is a seven-person continuing committee reporting through the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest (BAPPI) to the Board of Directors and Council of Representatives.

The mission of the committee is to:

• Promote the psychological welfare of people with disabilities.
• Promote the development and implementation of psychological service delivery models responsive to the needs of people with disabilities.
• Promote the awareness of disability issues in psychological research as well as specific research activity in disability areas.
• Promote inclusion of knowledge about disabilities and disability issues in education, training programs, and professional development of psychologists.

The committee shall consist of six APA members to be appointed for staggered terms of three years. Members should have expertise in one or more of the missions listed above. At least one member of the Committee shall be an early career psychologist.

Amani Basker

• 2025 Chair: H’Sien Hayward, PhD (2023–25)
• 2025 Vice Chair: KJ Conner, PhD (2023–25) 
• Cara Miller, PhD (2024–26)
• Andrea Witwer, PhD (2024–26)
• Elias Mpofu, PhD, CRC (2025–27)
• Rebecca C. Wilbur, Psy.D. (2025–27)
• Ron Wolfart - Graduate Student (2025–27)

• Nominations to the Committee for the 2026 terms

The Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology presented its 2022 Distinguished Contributions to the Advancement of Disability Issues in Psychology Award to Dawn M. Ehde, PhD, in recognition of her encouragement and support of the principles of disability justice, intersectionality, and disability as diversity in psychology research and scholarship through her role as editor of Rehabilitation Psychology. Additionally, the committee positively noted that the journal’s attention to the psychosocial context of disability, in addition to the medical aspects thereof, has increased during Ehde’s tenure as editor.

• Guidelines for assessment and intervention with persons with disabilities: Basic clinical applications
  We can all enhance our professional service with and on behalf of persons with disabilities. This webinar overviews the Guidelines for Assessment and Intervention with Persons with Disabilities.
• Health and psychosocial impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on people with disabilities
  People with disability identities have been historically marginalized and oppressed by society. This CDIP webinar raises awareness of the psychosocial and health equity issues that the disability community faced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• 2023 Committee Annual Report (PDF, 124KB)
• 2022 Committee Annual Report (PDF, 269KB)
• 2021 Committee Annual Report (PDF, 315KB)

2022 Meeting Minutes

• Quarter 1: January–March (PDF, 202KB)
• Quarter 2: May (PDF, 139KB)
• Quarter 3: July–September (PDF, 160KB)