PROJECT: Work with community to plan and add inclusive playground equipment, such as wheelchair-accessible swings, ramps, sensory play zones, and communication boards to a playground in South Los Angeles.

Taylor Carty is committed to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities through policy and advocacy. Carty is particularly interested in policy related to social insurance programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, having witnessed the tremendous impact these programs can have on a person’s health and quality of life: from experiences at Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital, where she worked with patients impacted by neurological conditions, to the ABLE National Resource Center, where she educates the public about Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts, which allow people with disabilities to save without jeopardizing their eligibility for public benefits.

As the 2024 Eileen Sweeney graduate intern in disability policy at the National Academy of Social Insurance, Carty recently worked with the Urban Institute’s Disability Equity Policy Initiative team on projects addressing the intersection of disability with issues such as housing, upward mobility, and disaster preparedness in rural areas.

Carty is currently pursuing her Master of Public Health in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. She earned her bachelor’s degree in molecular and cell biology from UC Berkeley.

In her free time, Carty enjoys spending time with her family, baking, and reading British literature.