Building Better Access: A Conversation with Meghan Burke, Professor of Special Education and Disability Advocate

Part of Every Kid Can's ongoing interview series, where we speak with professionals, advocates, and educators who work alongside people with disabilities every day — to better understand the barriers they face and how youth can be part of the solution.

Every Kid Can was founded on a simple belief: that social isolation and inaccessible opportunities shouldn't stand between kids with disabilities and their peers. To understand these barriers more deeply, we've been sitting down with professionals across the disability field. This installment features Meghan Burke, Professor of Special Education at Vanderbilt University and a disability advocate whose research focuses on expanding access to services for individuals with disabilities and their families.

What Does a Special Education Researcher Do?

Her work centers on identifying and closing gaps in service access for people with disabilities and their families. What sets her research apart is who's doing it: she works alongside an inclusive research team made up of many individuals with disabilities, and much of her data comes directly from participants who are disabled themselves.

"I am fortunate to work on an inclusive research team that is composed of many individuals with disabilities," she shared — a reminder that meaningful research on disability should include, not just study, the people it's meant to serve.

The Barriers That Remain

Asked whether she's witnessed a social divide or stigma between disabled and non-disabled individuals, Burke's answer was direct: yes.

"Although we have made great progress, there continues to be disparities in service access, stigma, and inaccessibility between individuals with and without disabilities."

It's a concise but important reminder — progress in disability inclusion hasn't erased the gap, and access, stigma, and accessibility remain life challenges even for those working to close them professionally.

How We Can Do Better

Burke's advice for young people looking to be better peers and allies was refreshingly simple: start by getting to know people.

"It is important to take opportunities to get to know people with disabilities in the community," she said — a message that echoes a common thread across Every Kid Can's interviews so far: connection, not correction, is where inclusion begins.

Every Kid Can is a youth-led initiative working to expand social and sensory inclusion for people with disabilities across our community. This interview is part of a series in which we speak with professionals, educators, and advocates to better understand the barriers to inclusion and how young people can help close them.