January 22 will mark what would have been the fifty-second anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Yet today, reproductive rights and freedoms are under attack nationwide.

On Wednesday, January 22 at 1:00 PM EST, join The Century Foundation as we hear from policymakers and advocates who are bringing the disability and reproductive justice movements together. Panelists will discuss how to ensure that everyone, regardless of race, gender, or disability, has control over their reproductive destiny. 

How can we ensure that the disability justice and reproductive justice policy advocacy communities are connected to ensure that people with disabilities not only have the same reproductive rights as able-bodied Americans, but that those rights can be realized in the full range of reproductive health care? 

Live CART and ASL interpretation will be provided.

Keynote Speaker:

  • U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)

Featuring:

  • Moderator: Vina Smith-Ramakrishnan, fellow, The Century Foundation
  • Kings Floyd, research and policy associate, The Century Foundation
  • Dr. Morenike Giwa Onaiwu, board of directors member and co-chair of equity, justice, and representation at Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network
  • Robin Wilson-Beattie, Carrie Buck distinguished fellow for 2024, Brandeis University 

Presented by The Century Foundation. 

Speaker Bios

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth is an Iraq War Veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and former assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs who was among the first handful of Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for twenty-three years before retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2014. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 after representing Illinois’s Eighth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms.

Vina Smith-Ramakrishnan is a fellow at The Century Foundation, where she works on issues related to maternal health and reproductive rights and justice. Vina’s work supports TCF’s efforts to eliminate racial and gender disparities in health outcomes. Prior to joining TCF, Vina served as a research associate at Population Institute, where she conducted research and published educational and advocacy materials on gender equality and reproductive rights both domestically and internationally. She has also held positions at Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan D.C. and The Democracy Collaborative. Vina graduated with a BA in anthropology from St. Lawrence University and an MPH in global health policy from The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

Kings Floyd is a research and policy associate for the Disability Economic Justice team at The Century Foundation. She is a disability rights activist, access coordinator and writer based in Washington, D.C. and Portland, Maine. A lifelong advocate and public speaker, she works to combine her unwavering passion for disability rights, health care, and mental health and wellness with intersectional communities. Ms. Floyd most recently served at the U.S. Department of Transportation, supporting the director of civil rights as a special assistant in the areas of disability, LGBTQ+ and gender, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). She formerly worked in the Biden–Harris administration in the Office of Presidential Personnel, and on the Biden presidential transition. She graduated with honors from High Point University in 2016, with a bachelors in English writing and concentrations in language, education, and disability studies. 

Robin Wilson-Beattie (she, her) is a speaker, writer, and advocate for disability and sexuality. She was one of the first people to talk about disability, sexuality, and marketing to adult product retailers and manufacturers. Robin combines years of personal experience with medically sound research to provide a unique perspective on how disability, life, and identity impact one’s sexual and reproductive health and expression. She is the 2024 Carrie Buck Distinguished Fellow of the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University. Her speaking engagements include multiple keynotes, panels, workshops, and webinars, including the Executive Office of the Vice President of the United States, and three consecutive years speaking at the Adult Video News convention in Las Vegas. As a disability peer researcher, she has co-authored a paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.