Burton Blatt Institute

01/12/2026

Supporting Disability Rights in Competing-Interest Scenarios: Experimental Evidence on the Effect of Law from China
The Moynihan Institute’s East Asia Program presents Mercy Renci Xie from Syracuse University’s College of Law. https://bbi.syr.edu/2026/01/east-asia-program-moynihan-graduate-student-grantee-talk-mercy-renci-xie/

12/24/2025

Happy Holidays! We are closed from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2.
Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

12/04/2025

Introducing: The Lion’s Den – A Blog by Leo True-Frost In celebrating International Day of People with Disabilities 2025!! Leo is creating 12 days of reflections on inclusion and how inclusion advances social progress for me. https://bbi.syr.edu/2025/12/leo-blog/

12/03/2025

DOT Offers Information and Guidance for Traveling with a Disability
The Department of Transportation (DOT) posted updated information and resources for Traveling with a Disability. The page includes information about the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and other policies and regulations that can impact travelers with disabilities. It provides resources for passengers as well as crew and other employees about wheelchairs and assistive devices, service animals, and seating accommodations, and when and how to file a complaint.

The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) is a law that makes it illegal for airlines to discriminate against passengers because of their disability.

12/03/2025

Our guests for this ADA Live! episode are Robin Paul Malloy, E.I. White Chair and Distinguished Professor of Law at Syracuse University, and Peter Blanck, University Professor and Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University. Peter and Robin discuss court cases involving housing rights, zoning laws, reasonable modifications to housing policies, and issues that impact the rights of people with disabilities to live in accessible homes and communities.

Time to catch up on you ADA Knowledge. Now Live! Episode 148: Housing, Disability Rights, and Planning Accessible Communities https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-148/

11/24/2025

Peter Blanck Featured In SU News: Focus on Disability Rights: Q&A With BBI’s Peter Blanck https://bbi.syr.edu/2025/11/peter-blanck-qa/
Syracuse University has long been a leader in disability policy, rights and advocacy. For the past 20 years, the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) and its chairman, University Professor Peter Blanck, have been at the forefront of this work. A nationally recognized expert in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related laws, Blanck joined BBI at its founding in 2005. He is principal investigator on a recent $4.6 million grant from the U.S.

11/13/2025

The Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University celebrates the retirement of Gary Shaheen Ph.D. whose leadership and commitment have left a lasting impression at BBI and beyond. BBI carries on the legacy of Dr. Burton Blatt by championing human rights and economic and civic empowerment for people with diverse disabilities across the US and internationally. https://bbi.syr.edu/2025/11/gary-shaheen-retires-sr-fellow/

11/08/2025

Syracuse University Archives - Thanks for remembering and honoring Burton Blatt on this momentous year!

Twenty years ago this month, the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) was established at Syracuse University. Burton Blatt was a pioneering educator in the field of special education here and later Dean of the Syracuse University School of Education. Also an activist, he called for the end of the institutionalization and abuse of people with disabilities. Many of the policies and programs that Blatt promoted are still considered best practice today, including integrating students with learning disabilities into public school classrooms and providing people with disabilities with the education and resources to live and work as independently as possible.

Blatt died in 1985, but BBI was founded to continue his work as well as adapt and expand it for the present-day realities of individuals with disabilities. Since 2005, BBI has engaged in research, education, program development and outreach with the goal of promoting the full social and economic participation of individuals with disabilities in their communities.

This photograph is from the Syracuse University Portrait Collection.

11/03/2025

During November, voters throughout the U.S. will be going to their polling place or voting by absentee ballot. Before you go, check out the Southeast ADA Center fact sheet: “Welcoming Voters with Disabilities.” Contact us if you have any questions about the ADA and voting. https://adasoutheast.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/accessible-voting-infographic.pdf

10/24/2025

Emerald Publishing Limited has announced the release of Disability and the Future of Work, a groundbreaking edited volume that examines how disability intersects with the rapidly changing world of work. Edited by DEP investigators—Fitore Hyseni, Lisa Schur, Douglas Kruse, and Peter Blanck—the book brings together leading scholars and practitioners to explore how technological, economic, and policy transformations are reshaping employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
https://bbi.syr.edu/2025/10/fhyseni-future-of-work/

10/20/2025

Jonathan Martinis, senior director of law and policy at BBI, published in 40 Big Ideas that shape inclusive communities Supported Decision-Making – Keeping the Promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act
https://bbi.syr.edu/2025/10/martinis-big-ideas/

10/03/2025

BBI Awarded $4.6M Grant to Lead Disability Employment Center

The national center contributes to the next generation of federal and state employment policies and serves as a hub for forward-looking research, education and training.