PhD Candidate (Disability Studies)
University of Illinois Chicago
Piyush Mishra is an interdisciplinary disability studies researcher, program developer, and creative practitioner with a background in engineering, working at the intersection of systems and stories. Currently a PhD candidate in Disability Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), his scholarship is grounded in lived experience as a sibling of a brother who is autistic and intellectually disabled, which informs his commitment to inclusive research, advocacy, and systems change. His research focuses on housing, caregiving, and future planning for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). His PhD dissertation topic is: ‘Aavas: Future Planning and Housing for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in India.’
He has led and contributed to projects such as Virtual Future is Now, co-developing and facilitating training programs for adults with IDD and their families across multiple U.S. states, and Saarthi, India’s first sibling-led support community. His work bridges scholarship, community practice, and creative expression in both India and the U.S. through policy-oriented research, training facilitation, public dissemination, disability arts and storytelling, and the co-creation of resources. He is well-versed in participatory methods, cross-sector partnerships, and knowledge translation across academic, policy, and creative platforms, with a broader aim of advancing disability futures and infrastructures of care.
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