An Exploration of the Participation of People with Intellectual Disabilities in Research--A Structured Interview Survey

Background: Even though participation of people with intellectual disabilities in research is increasingly common, there is little insight into how many people with intellectual disabilities participate, their motivations to participate and their interests regarding study results. Method: Five questions were added to the Panel Living Together (PLT) survey among 508 people with intellectual disabilities. The questions aimed to gain insight into the (i) frequency of participation; (ii) methods used to participate; (iii) motivations to participate; and (iv) interests regarding study results. Results: Although 73.5% (n = 347) of the respondents enjoyed their participation and 71.6% (n = 312) found it important to participate, only 11.8% (n = 60) participated in research other than PLT. Of the respondents, 61% (n = 261) indicated they wanted to be informed about study results, 29.1% (n = 148) of this group stated they wanted to compare, learn and share information. Conclusions: Future research should focus on how motivations of people with intellectual disabilities to participate in inclusive research, such as "empowerment," can be supported to facilitate their involvement in research.