Rua Mae Williams

Rua Mae Williams, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in User Experience Design at Purdue University and Principal Investigator of the CoLiberation Lab. Their work focuses on how disabled communities design sociotechnical systems outside dominant structures, addressing barriers in technology policy and research practices that threaten bodily autonomy. A former SSRC Just Tech Fellow (2022–2024), Williams regularly publishes on AI’s impact on disabled populations and is author of Disabling Intelligences, forthcoming from Palgrave Macmillan. They hold affiliations with the Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s Computer Graphics Technology department and advocate for participatory research ethics.

Research Interests:

• Assistive/adaptive technology innovation
• Disability participatory research
• Human-centered design
• Technology policy critiques
• Research ethics reform

Awards:

• Purdue Societal Impact Fellow (2021)
• SSRC Just Tech Fellowship (2022–2024)

Williams’ publications critically examine intersections between neurodivergence, AI ethics, and marginalized communities’ tech agency. Their work emphasizes co-liberative frameworks that center disabled perspectives in innovation processes. The CoLiberation Lab actively develops inclusive technologies through community-partnered projects.