Policy & Research

Policy must begin with real life.

A law, program or subsidy should ultimately be judged by its effect on the person it was created to serve. The Ability Foundation will examine disability policy through research, lived experience, legislation, economics and measurable outcomes.

Operational — Framework Version 0.1 Under Development

Ability Needs Index

The Ability Needs Index is an Ability Foundation framework for understanding disability through functional experience and support requirement rather than diagnosis alone.

Its first operational adult version examines Support Intensity, Unmet Need and Urgency as separate dimensions.

This distinction matters.

A person may require extensive support while having those needs reliably met. Another person may have more moderate functional limitations but face an urgent crisis because essential care, utilities, housing, transportation or equipment are unavailable.

The Index is designed to help the Foundation understand those differences.

Learn About the Framework

The Ability Observatory is not yet publicly operational. The categories below describe the kinds of research and policy material the Foundation intends to publish. No reports, statistics or data have been published yet. Nothing on this page should be read as an existing publication, finding or figure.

Planned