How state laws and ableism affect kidney transplant access for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities
Official title: Impact of ableism and state laws designed to mitigate ableism on organ transplant equity for kidney transplant candidates with intellectual or developmental disabilities
Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11146386 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether state anti-discrimination laws and other patient factors help people with intellectual or developmental disabilities get fair access to kidney transplants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $579,033 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD116245-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11146386 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with intellectual or developmental disabilities who are being evaluated for, listed for, or receiving dialysis while awaiting a kidney transplant would be most directly relevant to this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without kidney disease or those not seeking transplant evaluation are unlikely to get direct benefits from this project.
What this research studies
From your perspective, the researchers will compare people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) to those without IDD to see who gets listed for and receives kidney transplants and who stays on dialysis longer. They will use national Medicare claims and local electronic health record data to track transplant access and time on dialysis across different states. The team will examine whether state laws that ban disability-based discrimination are linked to smaller gaps in transplant access for people with IDD. They will also look at which patient characteristics combine with ableism to make it harder for some people to get a transplant and compare documented reasons why some candidates are excluded.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify which laws and factors reduce discrimination so more people with IDD can receive timely kidney transplants.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has documented transplant disparities and some policy effects, but applying state-law comparisons specifically to transplant equity for people with IDD is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hand, Brittany Nicole — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Hand, Brittany Nicole
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.