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Disability Wiki

Studies Archive: Disability Research Database

All disabled people have the right to access information on an equal basis with others, as affirmed by Article 21 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This page centers disabled people’s expertise and aims to make disability research accessible to communities who can use it.

This page serves as an evolving archive of significant studies, reports, datasets, and publications related to disability around the world. It helps researchers, activists, and community members access research, historical data, and ongoing work for advocacy, policy analysis, and community education.

What This Archive Includes

Section titled “What This Archive Includes”

Types of Resources

Section titled “Types of Resources”
  • Peer-reviewed journal articles
  • Reports by disability organizations and advocacy groups
  • Government datasets and national disability surveys
  • Qualitative studies: oral histories, ethnographies, community-based research
  • Disability statistics reports (national and international)
  • Research on accessibility, inclusive design, assistive technology
  • Studies on intersectionality: race, gender, class, and disability
  • Global South perspectives and decolonizing approaches
  • Oral history archives and community documentation projects

Geographic Coverage

Section titled “Geographic Coverage”

This archive aims to include research from:

  • North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)
  • Europe (UK, EU member states, other European countries)
  • Australia and New Zealand
  • Asia and the Pacific
  • Africa
  • Latin America and Caribbean
  • Middle East

We especially seek research from underrepresented regions and languages.

How Entries Are Organized

Section titled “How Entries Are Organized”

Each entry includes (when available):

  • Title, author(s), year
  • Type: Quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, report, dataset
  • Geographic or population focus
  • Key findings summary
  • Access information: Open-access link, DOI, archive link
  • Accessibility notes: Was the study accessible to participants? Did it use inclusive methods?
  • Tags: Disability type, region, themes (employment, health, access, justice)
Section titled “Featured Studies and Reports”

International Standards and Frameworks

Section titled “International Standards and Frameworks”

UN Guidelines for Disability Statistics UN Statistics Division International standards for collecting and compiling disability statistics using the Washington Group framework. Access

World Report on Disability World Health Organization, 2011 Comprehensive global report on disability prevalence, barriers, and recommendations. Access

Inclusive Research Methods

Section titled “Inclusive Research Methods”

“Conducting Accessible Research: Including People With Disabilities” Rios, D., Magasi, S., Novak, C., & Harniss, M., 2016 American Journal of Public Health Describes inclusive methodology for public health research with disabled participants. Access (PMC)

“Doing Research Inclusively: Guidelines for Co-Producing Research with People with Disability” Disability Innovation Institute, UNSW Principles and practices for inclusive, participatory research. Access (PDF)

Ethical Guidelines

Section titled “Ethical Guidelines”

“Ethical Guidance for Research with People with Disabilities” National Disability Authority, Ireland, 2024 Framework for ethical, inclusive research practice. Access

“Ethics Guidelines for Disability Research” IASSIDD (International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) Guidelines specifically for research involving people with intellectual disabilities. Access

Data and Statistics

Section titled “Data and Statistics”

Annual Disability Statistics Compendium Institute on Disability, University of New Hampshire Comprehensive U.S. disability statistics updated annually. Access

CBM Disability Data Advocacy Toolkit CBM Global Guidance on using and protecting disability data, with focus on Global South contexts. Access

Health Disparities

Section titled “Health Disparities”

“Persons with Disabilities as an Unrecognized Health Disparity Population” Krahn, G.L., Walker, D.K., & Correa-De-Araujo, R., 2015 American Journal of Public Health Documents health disparities facing disabled people and calls for improved data collection. Access (PMC)

Employment

Section titled “Employment”

Disability Employment Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Annual data on employment status of people with disabilities in the United States. Access

Education

Section titled “Education”

“State of Learning Disabilities” National Center for Learning Disabilities Report on outcomes for students with learning disabilities in U.S. schools. Access

Housing and Independent Living

Section titled “Housing and Independent Living”

“Priced Out: The Housing Crisis for People with Disabilities” Technical Assistance Collaborative Annual report on housing affordability for people receiving SSI. Access

How to Use This Archive

Section titled “How to Use This Archive”
  1. Browse by theme, region, disability type, or method
  2. Use summaries to identify relevant research for policy, advocacy, community programs
  3. Contact authors or organizations to request accessible versions or datasets
  4. Critically evaluate all research using the principles in How to Interpret Disability Data

Contribute to This Archive

Section titled “Contribute to This Archive”

This archive grows through community contributions. If you know of studies—especially from underrepresented regions, languages, or disability communities—please suggest additions.

What to Include

Section titled “What to Include”
  • Title, author(s), year, and publication source
  • Link to access (preferably open-access)
  • Brief summary of key findings
  • Geographic or population focus
  • Notes on accessibility of the research itself

Priorities for Expansion

Section titled “Priorities for Expansion”
  • Research from Global South countries
  • Studies in languages other than English
  • Community-based and participatory research
  • Historical research and oral histories
  • Research led by disabled researchers
  • Intersectional research (disability + race, gender, class, etc.)

To suggest additions, see How to Contribute.

Important Notes

Section titled “Important Notes”

Quality and Perspective

Section titled “Quality and Perspective”

Inclusion in this archive does not constitute endorsement. We include research representing different approaches and perspectives, including studies we may critique.

Accessibility of Sources

Section titled “Accessibility of Sources”

We prioritize open-access sources when available. Some linked resources may be behind paywalls. Many can be accessed through:

  • Public library systems
  • University library access
  • Interlibrary loan
  • Author requests for copies
  • Preprint repositories

Citation Ethics

Section titled “Citation Ethics”

When using research from this archive, cite original authors appropriately. Be especially careful to credit disabled researchers and community contributions.

Resources

Section titled “Resources”

Finding More Research

Section titled “Finding More Research”

Research Repositories

Section titled “Research Repositories”
Section titled “Related Pages”

This archive centers disabled people’s expertise and aims to make disability research accessible to communities who can use it. For questions or to suggest additions, see How to Contribute.

Contribute to This Page

Section titled “Contribute to This Page”

Have lived experience or expertise that could strengthen this page? We especially welcome perspectives on models not well represented here, including those from the Global South and Indigenous communities.

Suggest an edit or addition →

This page centers disabled people’s expertise and is informed by disabled-led organizing globally. For questions or to suggest additions, see How to Contribute.