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Erin Andrews with her son Gavin |
by Erin Andrews, PsyD, ABPP (APA Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology)
As a psychologist, my experience has primarily been in the clinical
domain. However, on April 17, I was thrilled to expand my experience with advocacy
when I represented the American Psychological Association at a congressional briefing on the groundbreaking
National Council on Disability (NCD) report - Rocking the Cradle: Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities and Their Children.
The briefing was a joint effort between APA, NCD, the National
Association of Social Workers (NASW), and the Child Welfare League of
America (CWLA). When I spoke to that room of congressional members and staff, I spoke from personal experience. My
interest in parenting and disability goes beyond the professional. I am a disabled parent myself and have written about my pregnancy journey before.
Here is the back story. Rocking the Cradle is
the first truly inclusive overview of
reproductive and parenting rights among people with disabilities. The
issues contained in the report impact me both personally and professionally.