Ethical Concerns in Research on Intellectual Disabilities

Including people with intellectual disabilities in research can be difficult; therefore, researchers frequently focus on people with mild or moderate disabilities because they are more accessible. There is, however, a political and social desire to incorporate and integrate all people with intellectual disabilities in research. To minimize wronging participants and enable people with intellectual disabilities to participate in a study to the best of their abilities, researchers must address the principles of permission, autonomy, and best practice rather than a threshold of autonomy. As a result, individuals with intellectual disabilities, particularly those who are less competent to participate in research, might participate by employing new ways that can assist them throughout the research process.