“We Don’t Always Know What we are Missing.” Research Teams’ Perspectives on the Recruitment of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in General Population Research

Ensuring that research participants accurately reflect patient populations is critical for the equitable distribution of the benefits and burdens of studies; however, many groups experiencing health disparities remain underrepresented in research. This study interviewed research team members (n = 25) interested in inclusive recruitment to understand their perspectives on engaging adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in general population research. Team-based thematic analysis revealed barriers to the inclusion of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities including 1) use of direct and indirect exclusionary practices, 2) lack of knowledge and skills, 3) reliance on ad hoc accommodations, 4) perceptions that including adults with intellectual disabilities in research lacks scientific value, and 5) beliefs that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are not able or willing to participate. However, while team members acknowledged a lack of knowledge and skills to include people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, there was a strong interest in learning.