Research studies that include disabled people, family members, and other key community members produce better results. Disabled people and their family members are experts on issues like access to services, transition, employment, self-advocacy, and more.
Ways to Participate
You can participate in research in many ways.
- Some studies include disabled people on an advisory board or on the research team.
- Some studies interview disabled people or ask them to fill out surveys.
- Some studies include family members or disability service professionals.
When you participate in research you can improve the study's impacts, learn new skills, and earn money.
You can read about different research studies and how to participate below. Some of the studies are led by the Institute on Disabilities. Studies led by other organizations have been reviewed by the Institute on Disabilities.
Sharing Studies
You can share these studies with people you think would want to participate. Please do not share information about these studies on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.).
Contact: Please email iodres@temple.edu or call Eva Weiss at 215-204-7177 with any questions or concerns.
Opportunities
Dr. Megan Neal
External Sponsor
Plain Language Summary
Our study is focused on understanding mental healthcare experiences for LGBTQ+ individuals with Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders (SCI/D)- this can include Multiple Sclerosis. We are hoping to recruit LGBTQ+ people who have been diagnosed with an SCI/D to participate in a one hour phone interview and 30 minute online survey. We are also interviewing mental health providers who have worked with LGBTQ+ people with SCI/D. People in the LGBTQ+ and/or disability communities have been involved in the study's design as well as data collection and analysis. We hope it will uncover strengths and weaknesses within the healthcare system and contribute to making access to healthcare more welcoming and suited to the needs of LGBTQ+ people with SCI/D.
Who Can Participate
- People who identify as LGBTQ+ with Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders
How You Can Participate
- Participate in interviews and surveys
Paid Opportunity?
This is a paid opportunity.
Contact
Dr. Megan Neal, megan.neal2@va.gov
Posted 4/5/24
Community Mobility and Participation of Autistic Adults Study (COMPAAS)
External Sponsor: AJ Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University
Plain Language Summary
The Community Mobility and Participation of Autistic Adults Study (COMPAAS) aims to understand how Autistic adults interact with their communities. The study was designed by a team of researchers from the AJ Drexel Autism Institute in collaboration with Autistic self-advocates who serve on our COMPAAS Advisory Board. The COMPAAS Advisory Board provides feedback, insight, and advice on our recruitment methods, study procedures, and on all of our study-related materials.
Who Can Participate
- Autistic adults
How You Can Participate
- Participate in interviews and brief surveys.
Paid Opportunity?
This is a paid opportunity.
Contact
Jordan Gifford jg3785@drexel.edu
Next Generation Augmentative and Alternative Communication Technology Powered by Artificial Intelligence
Temple Sponsor: Temple Computer and Information Sciences
Plain Language Summary
For this study, we are looking to develop AI enabled games and technology that respond to both vocal speech output and speech generated output from AAC applications. We have four researchers as part of our team who use AAC, and we are recruiting AAC users as well as caregivers of AAC users to interview and gather their perspectives and recommendations on the ideas before we start prototyping.
Who Can Participate
- AAC Users
- Caregivers of AAC users
How You Can Participate
- Participate in interviews and provide feedback and recommendations.
Paid Opportunity?
This is not a paid opportunity.
Contact
Beth Garrison: bgarrisn@temple.edu
Project ENGAGE
External Sponsor: Syracuse University and Columbia University
Plain Language Summary
Project ENGAGE at the Syracuse University and Columbia University want to learn what adults with intellectual disability think about being included in a new type of health research. They will use what we learn to create new resources to help researchers include adults with intellectual disability in health research. They will ask adults with intellectual disability to share ideas and experiences in a survey. It is ok to not have experience with health research or know much about it.
Who Can Participate
- Adults with intellectual disability
How You Can Participate
- Take a survey on a computer, over the phone, or by paper
Paid Opportunity?
You will be paid.
Contact
engageinpmr@syr.edu, 1-800-295-2187
Covid-19 Experience Study
Temple Sponsor: Institute on Disabilities
Plain Language Summary
The Institute on Disabilities wants to learn more about how the Covid-19 pandemic affected people with disabilities in Pennsylvania. Life at home and in the community changed a lot for many people. Sometimes those changes were difficult, but not always. We are talking to people with disabilities about their experiences to better understand how people felt during the pandemic and how Covid-19 affected their lives.
Who Can Participate
- Adults 18 years or older
- Live in Pennsylvania
- Have a disability
How You Can Participate
Interview by phone or video conference.
Paid Opportunity?
You will be paid.
Contact
Aidan Campagnolio, acamp@temple.edu
Community Autism Peer Specialist (CAPS) Study
External Sponsor: Drexel CAPS
Plain Language Summary
The CAPS study provides an opportunity for autistic young adults to receive peer support from another individual on the spectrum. The CAPS program is a great opportunity for autistic adults who want to return to work, school, spend more time with friends and family, or participate in other activities within their community. The CAPS program prioritizes the goals of autistic individuals. Services are provided by a trained CAPS professional who is also on the Spectrum to talk about goals. The goal of our study is to measure the effectiveness of the Community Autism Peer Specialist program.
Who Can Participate
- Autistic young adults (18-30 years old)
- Live in Philadelphia
How You Can Participate
- Receive peer support from another autistic young adult
- Fill out a survey
- Participate in an interview
Paid Opportunity?
You will be paid.
Contact
caps@drexel.edu, 215-839-8207
Policies for Reproductive Outcomes in Medicaid–Improving Services for Enrollees with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (PROMISE-IDD)
External Sponsor: Rubenstein Lab at Boston University School of Public Health
Plain Language Summary
The overall aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of the experiences of pregnant people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). In the long-term, we hope this study will contribute to improving pregnancy-related health care experiences and outcomes for people with IDD. For more information about the study, please visit: http://sites.bu.edu/rubenstein/promise-idd/.
As a part of this study, we're recruiting a Community Advisory Board (CAB) to provide insight and feedback on study methods, materials, and findings. Our CAB will mainly consist of people with IDD who have experienced pregnancy. We want to learn about their lived experiences and incorporate their perspectives throughout the research process.
Who Can Participate
- People with a documented IDD diagnosis
- 18 years of age or older
- Speak and understand English
- Be currently pregnant or have experienced a pregnancy in the past 10 years
- Have lived in the U.S. while they were pregnant
How You Can Participate
- Meet approximately twice per year for 60-90 minutes over Zoom.
Paid Opportunity?
You will be paid.
Contact
Mack Toth, promidd@bu.edu
Evaluating the Use of an AI-enabled Virtual Assistant to Support Neurodivergent Workers
in Interview Skills
Temple Sponsor: Computer and Information Sciences
Plain Language Summary
For this study, we are looking to create AI-enabled interview coaches to support neurodivergent workers in learning interview skills. We currently have a neurodivergent student researcher helping us with the software development, and are also seeking neurodivergent participants to interview to gather their feedback and design recommendations about their experience interviewing for employment as well as the prototype ideas before we develop a prototype.
Who Can Participate
- People who identify as neurodivergent
How You Can Participate
- Participate in interviews, analyze data, and provide feedback and design recommendations
Paid Opportunity?
You will be paid.
Contact
Beth Garrison bgarrisn@temple.edu
Access for Intellectually and/or Developmentally Disabled People to Health-Related Research projects: AIDD2Health
External Sponsor: Sonoran University Center for Excellence in Disabilities
Plain Language Summary
We are intellectual and/or developmental disabilities self-advocates, supporters, and researchers in Arizona. Our project is called AIDD2Health: Access for Intellectually and/or Developmentally Disabled People to Health-Related Research projects. By using universal design principles, we are working to develop strategies, tools and models that others around the U.S. can use. Based on our listening sessions with self and family advocates, as well as professionals, our team has developed a health priority survey. This survey will help us to identify priority health areas, based on the broader input by self and family advocates.
Who Can Participate
- You are an adult with intellectual and/or developmental disability (IDD), or
- You support someone with IDD
How You Can Participate
Paid Opportunity?
This is an unpaid opportunity.
Contact
Yumi Shirai: yumish@arizona.edu
The Experience of Black Students in IPSE
External Sponsor: Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Plain Language Summary
The goal of my study is to better understand the intersection of disability and race on a college campus. I will be interviewing black students with intellectual disability who are currently in or have graduated from an inclusive post-secondary education program. Participants in my study will be asked to answer questions about themselves and complete two short activities.
Who Can Participate
- Black students with intellectual disability who are attending an inclusive post-secondary education program
How You Can Participate
- Participate in interviews and provide feedback
Paid Opportunity?
This is a paid opportunity
Contact
Giulietta Flaherty: grf30@gsapp.rutgers.edu
Posted 2/22/24
Evaluation of the Use of the Continuum of Assistive Technology Mastery (CATM) by VR Counsellors
External Sponsor: Georgia Institute of Technology, Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation, College of Design
Plain Language Summary
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on employment for people with physical disabilities grant.
In this project, we want to help vocational rehabilitation agencies improve the support they give to people with physical disabilities to help them get jobs and to be successful at work. We want to find out how a tool for measuring a person's mastery of their Assistive Technology could help do this.
Who Can Participate
- People with disabilities
How You Can Participate
- Participate in focus group
Paid Opportunity?
This is a paid opportunity.
Contact
Ben Satterfield: ben.satterfield@design.gatech.edu
Posted 2/13/24
Contact: Please email iodres@temple.edu or call Eva Weiss at 215-204-7177 with any questions or concerns.