Dot Nary

Dot Nary has worked as a staff member at several independent living centers, and also served as a CIL board member. She is interested in research to eliminate health disparities, increase independent living opportunities for persons with disabilities, teach advocacy skills, and transform communities to promote participation for all. Dr. Nary’s research experience includes assessing accessibility of community fitness centers; devising and testing a home fitness routine for persons with mobility-related disabilities impairments; and serving as a staff member on a randomized controlled trial to test an exercise intervention for wheelchair users. She is interested in the intersection of disability and aging, and how this phenomenon is changing society. She teaches courses on disability at several universities and is a frequent guest lecturer on topics related to health and independent living for people with disabilities. In 2011 she was awarded a NIDRR Switzer Merit Fellowship to conduct a study titled “Is there really no place like home?: An exploratory study of the impact of non-visitable homes on wheelchair users.”

Research Interests

• physical disability
• physical activity for people with disabilities
• accessible communities 
• aging with a disability
• disability-competent health care
• visitable homes