Anjali Forber-Pratt
Assistant Professor, Department of Human and Organizational Development
Research: Dr. Forber-Pratt’s research agenda adopts a social-ecological framework to analyze issues of psychosocial development from a social justice lens. Her work focuses on three main areas of research: 1) disability identity development, 2) perceptions of inclusion and disability, and 3) victimization experiences in schools. Dr. Forber-Pratt’s ultimate goals are to better design interventions to help support individuals making meaning around their own disability and families adjusting to disability. Her lab is in the process of validating a newly created measure of disability identity development and has plans to utilize this measure as part of her grant-funded work with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, as they are interested in long-term outcomes, such as disability identity (among others such as functional independence and self-determination) for persons with paralysis. Dr. Forber-Pratt looks perceptions of disability and inclusion among individuals, school classrooms, schools and districts. Dr. Forber-Pratt also explores experiences of victimization in schools and social-emotional learning outcomes, particularly for students from diverse backgrounds such as students with disabilities. She is also a member of Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, which is one of the top research centers for disability-related work in the country. To learn more about current research projects her lab is engaged with, please refer to: Dr. Forber-Pratt’s research website: https://my.vanderbilt.edu/anjalifp/
Teaching: Dr. Forber-Pratt’s teaching has included Counseling Diverse Populations – a core course for students in the HDC master’s degree program both face-to-face and online and Appraisal and Assessment--specifically for future school counselors to understand the importance of individual and school-level assessments. At the undergraduate level, Dr. Forber-Pratt has taught Small Group Dynamics.
Service: Dr. Forber-Pratt is chair of the CRA Recruitment Committee and co-chair of the HOD Minority Student Committee. She is actively involved in numerous committees and Boards across the college, University, and the United States. Dr. Forber-Pratt presents regularly at state, national, and international conferences. The Foundation for Global Sports Development recognized her with an Athletes in Excellence award in 2017 for who have been champions not just in sports, but also in their communities by selflessly giving back through mentorship and outreach activities. Dr. Forber-Pratt has appeared on several television programs and radio shows including: NPR; The Stream; and Sesame Street; and has been quoted in the national print press, including The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Huffington Post, USA Today, and Runner’s World. She was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change in 2013 and had an opportunity to participate in a roundtable discussion with President Obama about disability policy issues.
Community Engagement: Dr. Forber-Pratt is involved with disability advocacy efforts related to access to employment, education and sport through public speaking and media appearances. She has been actively involved to help create inclusive sport opportunities for individuals with disabilities in Bermuda, India, Zambia and Ghana.
Representative Publications
Forber-Pratt, A.J., Merrin, G.J., Mueller, C.O, Price, L.R., Kettrey, H.L. (2020). Initial factor exploration of disability identity. Rehabilitation Psychology. doi: 10.1037/rep0000308
Forber-Pratt, A.J., & Lyew, D.A. (2019). A model case: specialized group home in India. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal.
Mueller, C.O., Forber-Pratt, A.J., & Sriken, J.F. (2019). Disability: Missing from the conversation of violence. Journal of Social Issues.
Forber-Pratt, A.J. (2019). Musings from the streets of India: Voice for the disabled who are non-verbal.Qualitative Inquiry.
Hammer, C., Podlog, L., Wadey, R., Galli, N., Forber-Pratt, A.J., Newton M., Morgan, S., & Greviskes, L. (2019). Cognitive processing following acquired disability for para sport athletes: A serial mediation model. Disability & Rehabilitation.doi: 10.1080/09638288.2018.1563639
Andrews, E.E., Forber-Pratt, A.J.,Mona, L.R., Lund, E.M., & Balter, R. (2019). #SaytheWord: A Disability Culture Commentary on the Erasure of ‘Disability’. Rehabilitation Psychology.
Forber-Pratt, A.J., Mueller, C.O., & Andrews, E.E. (2019). Disability identity and allyship in rehabilitation psychology: Sit, stand, sign, and show up. Rehabilitation Psychology. doi: 10.1037/rep0000256
Forber-Pratt, A.J. (2018). (Re)defining disability culture: Perspectives from the Americans with Disabilities Act Generation. Culture & Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/1354067X18799714
Hammer, C., Podlog, L., Wadey, R., Galli, N., Forber-Pratt, A.J., Newton M., Morgan, S., & Greviskes, L. (2018). From core belief challenge to post-traumatic growth in para sport athletes: Moderated mediation by needs satisfaction and deliberate rumination. Disability & Rehabilitation. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/09638288
Forber-Pratt, A.J.,& Espelage, D. L. (2018). A qualitative investigation of gang presence and sexual harassment in a middle school. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 27(6), 1929-1939. doi: 10.1007/s10826-017-1012-1
Hammer, C., Podlog, L., Wadey, R., Galli, N.,Forber-Pratt, A.J., Newton M., Morgan, S., & Greviskes, L. (2017). Understanding posttraumatic growth of para sport athletes with acquired disability. Disability & Rehabilitation. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2017.1402961
Miles, A.L., Nishida, A. & Forber-Pratt, A.J. (2017). An open letter: Dear White disability studies and ableist institutions of higher education. Disability Studies Quarterly.
Forber-Pratt, A.J., Lyew, D.A., Mueller, C., & Samples, L.B. (2017). Disability identity development: a systematic review of the literature. Rehabilitation Psychology. Advanced Online Publication. doi: 10.1037/rep0000134
Kurth, J.A. & Forber-Pratt, A.J. (2017). Views of inclusive education from the perspectives of pre-service and mentor teachers. 5(3), 189-202. doi: 10.1352/2326-6988-5.3.189
Forber-Pratt, A.J. & Zape, M.P. (2017). Disability identity development model: Voices from the ADA-generation, Disability and Health Journal. Advanced Online Publication. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2016.12.013
Forber-Pratt, A.J. (2015). Paralympic sport as a vehicle for social change in Bermuda and Ghana. Journal of Sport for Development, 3(5), 35-49.
Forber-Pratt, A.J. (2015). “You’re going to do what?”: Challenges of autoethnography in the academy. Qualitative Inquiry, 21(9), 821-835. doi: 10.1177/1077800415574908
Forber-Pratt, A. J., Aragon, S. R., & Espelage, D. L. (2014). The influence of gang presence on victimization in one middle school environment. Psychology of Violence, 4(1), 8-20. doi: 10.1037/a0031835
Rose, C.A., Forber-Pratt, A.J., Aragon, S.R., & Espelage, D.L. (2013). The influence of psychosocial factors on bullying involvement of students with disabilities. [Special Issue]. Theory into Practice. 52(4), 272-279. doi: 10.1080/00405841.2013.82973