Susan Wolf-Fordham
Adjunct Faculty
School
School of Arts and Sciences
Department
School of Arts and Sciences
About
Sue Wolf-Fordham, JD, MPA, has taught graduate courses in public health law and public health disaster management at MCPHS since 2018. Previously, she was an instructor and researcher at UMass Chan Medical School, where she led training development initiatives and helped secure and manage significant federal and foundation grants. She has a particular interest in incorporating scenario- and simulation-based learning into curricula in higher and professional education.
She brings more than two decades of experience in disability inclusion, access to care, and public health emergency preparedness. She develops professional education programs, creates and teaches graduate curricula, and provides technical assistance to state and local health departments, emergency management agencies, disability organizations, and other community-based organizations.
Sue has served as a consultant to organizations including the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). She has been an invited subject-matter expert for a White House Roundtable on Equitable Disaster Planning and has collaborated with FEMA, ASPR, CDC, and state public health agencies.
She is co-author of Integrating Mental Health and Disability into Public Health Disaster Preparedness and Response and lead chapter author for an upcoming textbook on disability and public health. She has authored scholarly and professional articles and presented at numerous national conferences. Sue also serves on a local Board of Health and on advisory committees for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Education
-
MPA – Suffolk University
-
JD – Boston University School of Law
- BA – Smith College
Research Interests
- Disability and health
- Healthcare access and equity
- Public health emergency preparedness and disaster management
- Public health law and policy
Programs
- Biotechnology (BS)
- Chemistry (BS)
- Health Sciences (BS)
- Health Sciences (BS)—Degree Completion
- Health Sciences (DHSc)
- Health Sciences (MHS)
- Health Sciences Pathway: Acupuncture (BS/MAC)
- Health Sciences Pathway: Occupational Therapy (BS/MSOT)
- Medical and Molecular Biology (BS)
- Premedical Health Studies (BS)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Medicine (BS/MD with SGU)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Dental Medicine (BS/DMD)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Optometry (BS/OD)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Osteopathic Medicine (BS/DO with LECOM)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Osteopathic Medicine (BS/DO with ATSU)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Physician Assistant Studies (BS/MPAS)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Veterinary Medicine (BS/DVM with SGU)
- Public Health (BS)
- Public Health (MPH)
- Public Health Graduate Certificate
Education
-
MPA – Suffolk University
-
JD – Boston University School of Law
- BA – Smith College
Research Interests
- Disability and health
- Healthcare access and equity
- Public health emergency preparedness and disaster management
- Public health law and policy
Programs
- Biotechnology (BS)
- Chemistry (BS)
- Health Sciences (BS)
- Health Sciences (BS)—Degree Completion
- Health Sciences (DHSc)
- Health Sciences (MHS)
- Health Sciences Pathway: Acupuncture (BS/MAC)
- Health Sciences Pathway: Occupational Therapy (BS/MSOT)
- Medical and Molecular Biology (BS)
- Premedical Health Studies (BS)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Medicine (BS/MD with SGU)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Dental Medicine (BS/DMD)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Optometry (BS/OD)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Osteopathic Medicine (BS/DO with LECOM)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Osteopathic Medicine (BS/DO with ATSU)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Physician Assistant Studies (BS/MPAS)
- Premedical Health Studies Pathway: Veterinary Medicine (BS/DVM with SGU)
- Public Health (BS)
- Public Health (MPH)
- Public Health Graduate Certificate
Publications
Books and Course Texts
2022 Morrow-Gorton, J., Wolf-Fordham, S., & Snyder, K. Integrating mental health and disability into public health disaster preparedness and response. Butterworth Heinemann-Elsevier
1989 Reitz, C., Frenkel, D., Lesnick, H., Mundheim, R., Spaeth, E., Laden, C.S., Perry, J., & Wolf-Fordham, S. The legal profession and professional responsibility 1989 course materials. University of Pennsylvania Law School Center on Professionalism, Philadelphia, P
1988 Reitz, C., Frenkel, D., Mundheim, R., Spaeth, E., Laden, C.S., & Wolf-Fordham, S. The legal profession and professional responsibility: Supplemental course materials and assignments. University of Pennsylvania Law School Center on Professionalism, Philadelphia, PA.
Referred Journal Articles
2023 Owen, A., Griffen, A., Augustin, D., & Wolf-Fordham, S. (2023). Prepared4ALL: Increasing disability inclusion and equity in local emergency planning. Collaborations: A Journal of Community-Based Research and Practice, 6(1), 1-14.doi: https://doi.org/10.33596/coll.112
2022 Butler, L., Wolf-Fordham, S., & Rehr, R. Building a more inclusive climate movement: Climate change and disabilities. Journal of Environmental Health, 84(9), 34-36.
2020 Wolf-Fordham, S. Integrating government silos: Local emergency management and public health department collaboration for emergency planning and response. The American Review of Public Administration, 50(6-7), 560-567.
2015 Wolf-Fordham, S., Curtin, C., Maslin, M., Bandini, L., & Hamad. C. Emergency preparedness of families of children with developmental disabilities: What public health and safety emergency planners need to know. Journal of Emergency Management, 12(1), 7-18. doi: 10.5055/jem.2015.0213. Also published in American Journal of Disaster Medicine, 10(1), 23-34.
2014 Wolf-Fordham, S., Twyman, J., & Hamad, C. Educating first responders to provide emergency services to individuals with disabilities. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 8(6), 533-540. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2014.129.
Web-Based Publications
2016 Wolf-Fordham, S., Shea, N., & Deignan, H. View from the experts: As we mark National Preparedness Month, we must consider the unique needs of individuals with disabilities. Commonwealth Medicine News. https://commed.umassmed.edu/news/2016/09/21/view-experts-we-mark-national-preparedness-month-we-must-consider-unique-needs
Other Publications
2018 Wolf-Fordham, S, & Sota, M. (2018). Rescue-D for EMS: Tips for Interacting with People with Disabilities. Jones & Bartlett, Burlington, MA.
2017 Wolf-Fordham, S. The time is now – Family emergency preparedness with special needs. Autism Parenting Magazine (57), 17-18.
Under Review
2026 Wolf-Fordham, S. & Evans, A. (under review). Disability and public health emergencies. In C.E. Drum, G. Krahn, & J. Ditsch (Eds.). Disability and health: The role of public and community health (working title). Johns Hopkins Press.
Selected Professional Presentations
Invited Talks and Guest Lectures
2026 Wolf-Fordham, S. (March 16). Disability inclusion & dentistry. Harvard School of Dental Health Annual Special Needs Dentistry Symposium. Boston, MA.
2026 Wolf-Fordham, S. (March 3). Useful tools and techniques for disability etiquette, addressing access and functional needs, and inclusive emergency planning. Massachusetts Department of Public Health Volunteer Training Day. Worcester, MA.
2025 Wolf-Fordham, S. (March 24). Disability inclusion and dentistry. Harvard School of Dental Health Annual Special Needs Dentistry Symposium. Boston, MA.
2024 Wolf-Fordham, S. (March 18). A socio-ecological look at disability inclusion & health. Harvard School of Dental Health Annual Special Needs Dentistry Symposium. Boston, MA.
2023 Wolf-Fordham, S. (October 25). Prepared4ALL: Practical inclusive emergency planning tools for local public health offices. Massachusetts Health Officers Association Annual Conference. Falmouth, MA.
2023 Wolf-Fordham, S. (May 5). Critical conversations and community collaboration about disasters and disabilities. American Association of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry One Voice for Inclusive Health Conference. Denver, CO.
2023 Wolf-Fordham, S. (March). Disability equity in healthcare, disasters, & war. Harvard School of Dental Health Annual Special Needs Dentistry Symposium. Boston, MA.
2022 Wolf-Fordham, S. (June 5 and July 25). Building capacity for state and local inclusive emergency planning and response: The "why" and "how" Workshops 1 and 2. Oklahoma Department of Health.
2022 Wolf-Fordham, S. (March 23). Disability access and emergency preparedness law. Boston University School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences, Policy & Law course. Boston, MA.
2022 Wolf-Fordham, S. (March 7). Disability: Advocacy and equity issues. Opening Speaker. Harvard School of Dental Health Annual Special Needs Dentistry Symposium. Boston, MA.
Oral Conference Presentations
2025 Wolf-Fordham, S. (November 4). Patient and family-activated rapid response systems (PFA-RRS): Safety mechanism and potential tool for hospitalized patients with disabilities to address structural bias and provider misconceptions. American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting. Washington, D.C.
2024 Adams, A., Wolf-Fordham, S., Mazza, A., Thompson, V. (June 4). Emergency management plan evaluation using Prepared4ALL in a classroom setting. FEMA Higher Education Symposium. Emmitsburg, MD.
2023 Wolf-Fordham, S. (June 5-7). Research to Practice: An Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Professional Practice and Teaching Tool. FEMA Higher Education Symposium. Emmitsburg, MD.
2023 Wolf-Fordham, S. (April 26). Prepared4ALL: Training and Tools to Increase Access, Equity, and Disability Inclusion in Local Emergency Planning and Build Community Capacity and Resilience. NACCHO Preparedness Summit. Atlanta, GA.
2022 Butler, L., Wolf-Fordham, S., & Hill, N. (November). Disability and environmental justice: A call to action. American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting. Boston, MA.
2022 Wolf-Fordham, S., & Kerr, J. (May). Prepared4ALL: Building local capacity for disability inclusion and equity in emergency and COVID-19 planning through public-private partnership. Empowering Resiliency 2022 National VOAD Conference. Baltimore, MD.
2022 Wolf-Fordham, S. & Weintraub, L. (March 30). AUCD's work related to disabilities and disasters. National Advisory Committee on Individuals with Disabilities and Disasters (NACIDD) and National Advisory Committee on Seniors and Disasters (NACSD) Joint Inaugural Public Meeting.
2021 Owen, L., Griffen, A., Augustin, D., & Wolf-Fordham, S., Flynn, M, & Rushing, R. (November). Prepared4ALL: Supporting disability organizations to engage with local emergency and public health preparedness planners. Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) 2021 Virtual Conference, Learning Together: Connecting Research and Lived Experience.