Shea Tanis
Emily Shea Tanis, PhD, is currently an Associate Research Professor at the Kansas University Center on Disabilities, Life Span Institute, University of Kansas. She has published articles and investigated the definition of intellectual disability, the measurement of adaptive behavior and support need, the construct of self-determination, accessible data visualizations, cognitively accessible technology solutions, federally funded supports and services for people with IDD and their families, and self-directed employment strategies. She is nationally recognized for her expertise on the Rights of People with Cognitive Disabilities to Technology and Information Access which includes national data collection on technology use and barriers for people with disabilities, technology-related policy, innovative technology solutions for community living, data agency, and the development of the Technology First Systems Change model.
Dr. Tanis also serves as Principal Investigator for the State of the States in Developmental Disabilities Ongoing Longitudinal Data Project of National Significance (PNS) authorized by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act) and overseen by the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For over 40 years, the project has investigated determinants of public spending for Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services and Supports in the United States. The project reveals the impact of federal, state, and local government fiscal policy over time. Dr. Tanis has been involved with The State of the States in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities project since 2011. She is the sibling of a man with a traumatic brain injury and is past chair of the National Sibling Leadership Network.
