Karen Erickson

Dr. Karen Erickson, Ph.D. is the David E. and Dolores “Dee” Yoder Distinguished Professor of Literacy and Disability Studies and Director of the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. She also serves as a Professor in the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, where her research focuses on literacy assessment and instruction for struggling readers of all ages, including students with significant disabilities.

Erickson is co‑author of Comprehensive Literacy for All: Teaching Students with Significant Disabilities to Read and Write, a widely used, research‑based guide to providing comprehensive literacy instruction to students with complex learning needs. She is also a co‑developer of the Tar Heel Reader online library of accessible books for beginning readers, along with other assistive and learning technologies designed to support learners with disabilities.