From the Office of Public Affairs | http://www.news.ku.edu
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KU-led project awarded $600K to study experiences of people with disabilities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
LAWRENCE — An established University of Kansas research program that surveys Americans with disabilities about their health has been awarded a $600,000 grant to document experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, including those of marginalized populations within the disability community, such as LGBTQ+ individuals and people of color.
Lockton family gives $2M to expand insurance certificate program at School of Business
LAWRENCE — A $2 million gift from the family of the late Jack Lockton, founder of Kansas City, Missouri-based Lockton Companies, will support the expansion of the insurance and risk management certificate program at the University of Kansas School of Business. The program was established with an initial $1 million gift from Cheryl Lockton Williams in 2019.
Full stories below.
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Contact: Jen Humphrey, Life Span Institute, 785-864-6621, [email protected], @kulifespan
KU-led project awarded $600K to study experiences of people with disabilities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
LAWRENCE — An established University of Kansas research program that surveys Americans with disabilities about their health has been awarded a $600,000 grant to document experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, including those of marginalized populations within the disability community, such as LGBTQ+ individuals and people of color.
The National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD), directed by Jean Hall, director of the KU Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies (IHDPS) and the Research and Training Center on Independent Living (RTC/IL), is a KU-developed survey that has gathered detailed, nationwide information on U.S. adults with disabilities and their experiences with health insurance and health care services since 2018. It is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research.
“This project will identify if access to health care has gotten worse for any subgroups of people with disabilities, whether those are people who are LGBTQ+, or people of color, or people of a certain age, or among people who live in a certain geographic area,” Hall said. “The survey will help us identify if that’s happening.”
Respondents to the survey are asked to describe their experiences with the health care system as well as the effect of the pandemic on their daily lives.
“The survey will help us identify what is happening so that we can make recommendations to policymakers or health care providers,” said Noelle Kurth, co-investigator of the project. Those recommendations may also benefit other underserved groups.
The survey will gather information about health care access. For example, although telehealth is now more widely available, people with disabilities, including those from other marginalized subpopulations, may have greater challenges in accessing those services compared to the general population.
The research will build on previous work that documented health disparities among LGTBQ populations and other marginalized groups.
“I think what we need to do right now to be able to help underrepresented communities is to get a good understanding of what is happening, and we want to hear directly from individuals with disabilities,” Hall said. “You’ll see in the news everything on COVID-19 and how it impacts people, but often what is missing is quantitative data about how it affects people with disabilities. We want to be able to quantify what exactly is happening and what needs to change to make the situation better for people with disabilities.”
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Lockton family gives $2M to expand insurance certificate program at School of Business
LAWRENCE — A $2 million gift from the family of the late Jack Lockton will support the expansion of the insurance and risk management certificate program at the University of Kansas School of Business.
The gift — from Cheryl Lockton Williams and her three sons, Ron Lockton, Don Lockton and Steve Lockton — establishes a path for undergraduate students minoring in business and for MBA students to earn the school’s Jack Lockton Certificate in Insurance and Risk Management.
The program was established with an initial $1 million gift from Lockton Williams in 2019 to honor her late husband, Jack Lockton. He founded the Kansas City, Missouri-based Lockton Companies, which has grown into the world’s largest privately held insurance brokerage firm.
Since its launch at KU in fall 2019, the certificate has been offered to undergraduate students in the School of Business.
“Our family is grateful that the Jack Lockton Certificate program has been so well-received by the students at KU,” said Ron Lockton, executive chairman of Lockton Inc. and Jack’s son. “By expanding this program, we are delighted to continue Jack’s legacy of passion for business, the insurance industry, and the communities where we live and work.”
Lockton Williams said after marrying Jack and becoming involved in the business, she discovered how financially vulnerable families could be without insurance, and how limited most businesses would be in their growth.
“No matter the business, the person who guides the decision of risk versus reward is a valuable member of the management team,” Lockton Williams said. “Due to the wonderful reception of Jack Lockton Certificate in Insurance and Risk Management by faculty and demand among students, we are honored to support the growth of this program.”
The expansion will allow more School of Business students and KU students minoring in business to gain exposure to insurance and risk management concepts, positioning them for career opportunities in underwriting, claims, agency and brokerage, risk management, consulting and more.
“This additional funding will enable us to expand the program’s footprint and provide a path to certification for students beyond our current reach,” said Kurt Krogull, director of the school’s certificate program. “My heartfelt thanks to the Lockton family for their continued generosity and trust.”
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