Life Span Institute

On this day 27 years ago, Lois Curtis helped secure a landmark victory for disability rights—affirming the right of people with disabilities to live in their communities, not institutions.
Home- and community-based services or under are not only more cost-effective, they’re consistently linked to better outcomes.

Today, that legacy is facing new challenges. Learn more about why this ruling still matters: https://loom.ly/X90LfH0

How the 'DD Act' transformed disability rights and community services How the 'DD Act' transformed disability rights and community services White House archive/Adobe images Wed, 03/04/2026 author Christina Knott Share Share by Email Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Lois Curtis sometimes worried she'd somehow been to blame for what happened to her.....

A growing body of research is examining the health impacts of ultra‑processed foods. Tera Fazzino's work out of the KU Life Span Institute's Cofrin Logan Center is helping lead the way. The American Journal of Public Health dives into this topic in a special issue dedicated to exploring the concerns over ultra-processed foods.

Alongside other leading scholars in this issue, Fazzino’s work contributes to a deeper understanding of how ultra‑processed foods influence chronic disease and why addressing this growing public health concern requires system‑level solutions.

Explore the full issue: https://loom.ly/EhY4sPg

Ultra-processed foods are in the news a lot lately, but KU researcher Tera Fazzino traces this trend back to when Big To***co took over food companies and began applying the same model used for ci******es to drive consumption of ultra-processed, highly palatable foods.

NPR spoke with Dr. Fazzino about the impact of this shift. https://loom.ly/4vusi6I

How did to***co marketing strategies shape today’s ultra-processed food industry?

New research from the Cofrin Logan Center at the KU Life Span Institute reveals how cigarette-selling tactics were adapted to promote food products worldwide — with far-reaching health impacts including rising rates of obesity and related diseases.

Cigarette-selling tactics were used to globally market ultraprocessed foods Click for more on research appearing in the American Journal of Public Health

Get to know us — with our 6 Question Series with researchers and staff. Today, we're highlighting Austin Myers, Communications Coordinator at the KUCD - Kansas University Center on Disabilities. Seeing how his work benefits people with disabilities helps drive his work at the Life Span Institute.

🔗 Read the Q&A: https://loom.ly/SO4ZKgY

Just 1 out of 3 Kansas students are at grade-level reading proficiency. To improve statewide literacy, a one-size-fits-all approach won't cut it. Researchers at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning are partnering with the Board of Regents to build flexible, community-driven solutions through the Blueprint for initiative.

📖 Find out how: https://loom.ly/5T5UfQM

KU researchers have been partnering with the state to expand access to competitive, integrated employment for with with impressive early results.

The initial goal in the pilot phase was to connect 20 people to jobs within a year. Instead, nearly 200 people were employed with an average hourly wage of $13.76. "We were blown away," said Evan Dean, KUCD - Kansas University Center on Disabilities associate director.

Moving into Phase II, researchers hope to scale up their efforts to help even more Kansans with find competitive integrated employment.

Read the full story: https://loom.ly/bPtjM9A

How have policy, data, and real lives intersected over the last three decades? 📊✨

Shea Tanis, director of the State of the States in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities project at KUCD - Kansas University Center on Disabilities, is a featured collaborative partner in the new podcast, "35 Years of Community Living."

Launched alongside partners at the University of Minnesota and UMass Boston, this series uses powerful storytelling and data to explore how community inclusion has shaped the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the country.

🎧 Listen to the first episode now on the State of the States website: https://loom.ly/L78C_RA

The risk of heat-related illness is highest for the very young, older adults, and people with . Learn what to know to stay safe as the temperatures keep climbing this summer in . https://loom.ly/kJdbkM4