ABLE

Unit Director: Nicoletta Balbo

The ABLE research unit investigates how disability shapes the lives of individuals and their families, with the aim of generating rigorous evidence for more effective and inclusive social policy. We study the consequences of disability for health, education, employment, social participation, caregiving, and family well-being, with particular attention to the role of institutions, culture, and social inequality. We also examine the barriers and challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and their families, and seek to measure and quantify the disadvantages they face across different domains of life.

Our research combines high-quality data and frontier quantitative methods to identify the short- and long-term impacts of disability across the life course, both for individuals with disabilities and for their family members. We are particularly interested in the mechanisms through which disability affects life trajectories and family dynamics, as well as in the evaluation of policies and interventions designed to promote inclusion, well-being, and equal opportunities. Through collaboration with researchers, institutions, and third-sector organizations, the unit aims to contribute to both scientific advancement and evidence-based policy design. The unit brings together an interdisciplinary group of Bocconi researchers and external affiliates with expertise in sociology, demography, social statistics, economics, and public health.