Healthy Sexuality: Research

The Institute on Disabilities participates in collaborative research projects that are shaped by and for disability communities. Want to learn more about current and recent research projects? Visit this site's Research and Evaluation section.

Current Research Project  

Building Capacity for Sexual Harm Survivors with IDD to Engage in Healing-Centered Outcomes Research: Most research on trauma and healing for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) is not designed or carried out by people with lived experience. This project centers the experiences, needs, and strengths of survivors of sexual harm with IDD to shape future research topics and designs.

In the first year of the project, we worked with an inclusive team and a community advisory board of people with lived experience to develop a co-researcher training guide. Now we are using the training guide with a cohort of co-researchers with lived experience to build skills for doing healing-centered research. From here, we will hope to create opportunities for more trauma-informed and accessible research that supports healing for people with IDD. More about the project

view through windows across Temple's campus from inside a library space includes the bell tower, trees, and tall buildings

Past Research Projects 

Healthcare Experiences of LGBTQ+ people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD): We partnered with a community advisory board to explore the healthcare experiences of LGBTQ+ people with I/DD.

Interviews with individuals and providers about their experiences will help to inform future trainings for medical providers to make healthcare better for everyone.   

This work was funded by the WITH Foundation.

For More Information

For more information or to request a training or resources, please contact: iodhsp@temple.edu.