Research into Disabilities

More than 40 years of studies have been conducted on disabled old age. The evidence base for practice and policy in the fields of aging and disabilities, however, remains small in virtually all areas. This is attributable, in part, to the separation of aging and disability studies. Still, it is also related to the scarcity of researchers working in these fields and the need for a unified framework to facilitate collaboration.

Research Agenda For Bridging Aging And Disability

The Toronto Declaration adds its voice from a global perspective to several declarations forwarded in the past decade on the need to bridge aging and disability. Despite earlier pleas, progress has been slow in eliminating the gap between the elderly and the disabled. The goal of the Toronto Declaration is to amplify the call for increased integrative and interdisciplinary research, efficient transfer of knowledge, and the translation of research into practical benefits for people with disabilities, their families, and their communities. It details the importance of including people with disabilities of all ages and their families in this effort with the need for dedicated funding for this work.

It takes a lot of work to get a firm grasp on the novel models of care and research, as well as the new concepts and techniques of analysis that should be applied to the problem of bridging old age and disability. To bridge the gap between research on aging and disability and policy and practice, the Toronto Declaration identifies five critical areas of focus:

1) Physical and mental health; 2) community, inclusion, and involvementĀ 

3) Long-term services and assistance

4) Financial stability

5) The study of bridging

Expertise in research, practice, policy, and consumer domains is required because no single discipline can address them.

Getting Involved In Research And Training: A Guide for Persons With Intellectual Disabilities

As the self-advocacy movement expands, more and more professionals and individuals with intellectual disabilities collaborate on research and training programs to better equip professionals to serve people with disabilities.

  • Help professionals learn more about persons with disabilities so they may better serve those people in their work. You may provide your perspective on what it's like to live with a handicap and the topics you think should receive more attention at a research meeting, for instance.
  • Join a research study as a subject. This might entail responding to questionnaires or providing other data that would help scientists gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of individuals with disabilities.
  • Assist in the creation of research materials or investigations. You can advise researchers on interview questions, for instance, or lend a hand in ensuring the relevance and use of the study for individuals with impairments by providing feedback to the researchers.
  • Assist those researching to grasp better the significance of the data they uncover. For example, if studies show that individuals with disabilities have trouble obtaining work or a suitable location, you may provide insight into why this might be the case.
  • Collaborate with the research team to publish scholarly articles describing the project's findings. In addition, you may share what you learn with the world, such as how to aid community-dwelling persons with impairments. That way, others can benefit from your findings and discover new ways to help persons with disabilities in their everyday lives.
  • Share the findings of the study with other persons who experience disability, service providers, professionals, parents, and members of the community. Give a speech to the disabled community to share what you've learned about assisting the disabled in decision-making, for instance.
  • Contribute to determining the target audience for the study's findings. Working with researchers, decide who should be informed of the new conclusions regarding improving students' academic performance who experience difficulties. In such a circumstance, you may wish to share what you've learned with those who can benefit from it, including those who are disabled, educators, and parents.

Training for Families and Their Adult Relatives with Developmental Disabilities

Parents of an adult child with an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) often have to juggle their caregiving responsibilities with those of another family member. Parents' stress levels may rise, or their perspectives on whether or not they can provide enough care for their children may shift if they are also caring for another adult. This research aimed to determine if compound caregiving is significantly linked to family distress and whether compound carers vary from other parents of persons with IDD. The ages of the 199 parents looking for help for their adult child with IDD ranged from 38 to 91. Parents who shared care for their children responded to a questionnaire and phone interview. The Revised Caregiver Appraisal Scale and the Brief Family Distress Scale were used, comparing the family characteristics, parental perceptions of load and mastery, and family distress of parents who were recognized as compound carers versus those of parents who were not. In this study, over half of the parents identified as providing compound care. These parents were no different from any other parents save for having significantly younger children. There was a strong correlation between parents' sense of burden and mastery and family suffering when providing compound care. It is essential to evaluate the impact on family functioning of factors other than caring for an adult child with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Health Matters for People with Developmental Disabilities: Creating a Sustainable Health Promotion Program

Participants in the HealthMatters Program have benefited from almost a decade of research examining the program's effectiveness. More information about managing and enhancing health outcomes for people with DD and their support teams is always welcome. In 1998, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) funded the establishment of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging with Developmental Disabilities, which has since become one of the most influential university-based exercise and health education clinical trials for adults with DD (RRTCADD). People with developmental disabilities (DD) were recruited through community-based organizations (CBOs) that offer day or residential services. Positive social and physical health effects were found when the Exercise and Nutrition Health Education Curriculum for Adults with Developmental Disabilities was implemented in this research. Since 2002, when a 5-year study concluded, researchers have collaborated with a wide range of community partners to assess the effects of health-related and health promotion activities in the regions where people with DD live, work, and play. As a result, the RRTCADD established the HealthMatters Program: Train-the-Trainer Workshop 2 in 2003. Due to additional funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to build an infrastructure for the HealthMatters Community Academic Partnership, over 2125 teachers in over 21 states and five countries have been certified as Certified Instructors to launch a health promotion program for people with DD. While some data shows that health promotion benefits people with ID in clinical settings, there needs to be more research demonstrating practical strategies for encouraging healthy behaviors in everyday life. A 12-week health promotion program for clients with ID was launched after 8 hours of training for 34 staff from CBOs. The 67 adults in the study with ID were divided into two groups: one that participated in a 12-week exercise and health education program and another that served as a control. Results. In the group that received the intervention, there was a discernible improvement in health, physical activity, and mental health. These results provide credence to the idea that health promotion initiatives run by CBOs have a positive impact on the well-being of people with IDD.