Measuring structural ableism to improve health for disabled people
Identifying and Measuring Domains of Structural Ableism to Advance Health for the Disability Community
This project will build tools that capture how laws, policies, and institutions disadvantage disabled people and link those measures to health outcomes for the disability community.
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 ID | NIH-11146537 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team will review historical texts, policies, and qualitative interviews to define the different parts of structural ableism. Working with disabled community members, they will create and test a survey that captures individuals' experiences across those domains. They will also build community-level measures from public datasets and combine statistical and participatory methods to relate structural ableism to health outcomes. Community engagement studios and key informant interviews will guide measure development and validation throughout the five-year project.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with disabilities, advocates, and community members who can share lived experiences may be invited to take part in interviews, surveys, or engagement sessions.
Not a fit: People without disabilities or those seeking immediate medical treatment are unlikely to receive direct clinical benefit from this measurement-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could pinpoint how systemic ableism harms health and guide policy and program changes to reduce health disparities for disabled people.
How similar studies have performed: Related efforts to measure structural racism and other social determinants have been informative, but validated measures specifically for structural ableism are largely new.
Where this research is happening
Charlottesville, United States
- University of Virginia — Charlottesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Valdez, Rupa Sheth — University of Virginia
- Study coordinator: Valdez, Rupa Sheth
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 below.