Identifying disability-related barriers that affect health
Official title: Identifying and Measuring Domains of Disability-Related Barriers to Advance Health for the Disability Community
Funded at University of Virginia · NIH-11393599 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A five-year project at the University of Virginia will create and validate measures of the barriers that disability communities face in health care and daily life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Virginia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlottesville, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $562,012 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD116303-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393599 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults living with disabilities who experience barriers in healthcare, services, or daily life.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without disability-related barriers or those not impacted by health disparities may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project will blend historical review, policy analysis, and interviews to understand the different factors that make up disability-related barriers. It will then develop an individual-level questionnaire to capture a person’s experiences with these barriers. Finally, it will measure barriers at the community level using public data and work with the disability community to ensure the measures reflect real-world experiences. The team will use participatory methods and statistics to create a cross-domain measure that links barriers to health outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with disabilities could be better understood and supported through more accurate assessments of barriers, leading to more targeted improvements in care and policies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in health disparities and disability studies supports the value of measuring barriers, with ongoing efforts showing promise for better alignment of services with patient needs.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Valdez, Rupa Sheth — University of Virginia
- Study coordinator: Valdez, Rupa Sheth
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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.