Elizabeth DePoy

Elizabeth DePoy is a Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Maine and Senior Research Fellow at Ono Academic College (Israel). Her interdisciplinary work bridges social work, disability studies, and mechanical engineering.

Research Focus:
DePoy develops two primary research streams: 1) Designing aesthetic, functional mobility equipment (e.g., the AFARI walking/jogging aid now in the Smithsonian Collection) via engineering collaborations; 2) Studying adaptive strategies for aging farmers. Her theoretical work critiques essentialist diversity categories through design and branding frameworks.

Key Contributions: Co-created 'disjuncture theory' analyzing how legitimacy norms marginalize disabled populations. Current projects include robotic mobility systems with automated gait monitoring and cross-country skiing adaptations.

Critical Perspective: Argues contemporary diversity discourse reinforces market-driven grand narratives, urging professionals to reconceptualize social identity categories for meaningful 21st-century equity.