A Word from the Director

Is Disability Research Useful?

Millions of dollars are spent annually to support the design and implementation of activities that can be lumped under the general topic of "disability research." These activities tend to be far-flung and divergent in nature and often embrace a variety of information-generation, information-implementation, and information-dissemination efforts. Quite often, however, the intended "user" of the produced information is only vaguely defined or unknown.

Research on effective dissemination has clearly pointed to several characteristics that are related to the utilization of information by intended user groups:

• Each user determines how and when she or he will (or will not) use information.
• Intended user groups must be defined well enough by the disseminator to know the context and content of information that is desired by the user.
• Information must be shared through a medium that the intended user deems to be accessible.
• The utilization of information usually requires more than a one-time exposure to basic information.

Clearly, the extent to which a disseminator "understands" the intended users, the more likely the dissemination-utilization process is to be successful. All too often, dissemination is approached as an act of documentation. While documentation of research findings is important and inherently critical to potential use of the resulting information, it is not adequate as the predominant strategy and basis of effective dissemination and utilization. Grantees should not approach dissemination as if it were simply a matter of documentation of research results or findings.

Effective dissemination is a process that requires a match between the time and content-related needs of the intended user, and the information that is available. It is virtually impossible to accomplish the goal of dissemination-utilization-without knowing how intended users typically access information that they use. The NCDDR has undertaken a survey activity to identify some of the information-utilization characteristics of people with disabilities and their families. It is hoped that these initial survey data are useful to NIDRR grantees in developing a dissemination plan involving outreach to consumer groups. This issue of The Research Exchange reveals some of the findings relevant to consumers' utilization characteristics.

Also, I want to point out that the NCDDR survey data underscore the fact that consumers continue to have high regard for disability research. Mixed messages have been sent from some disability-related groups espousing that consumers could care less about disability research. It is important to know that consumers do care. It is also equally important to note that too many consumers appear to have limited or no dependable pathways to obtain information about disability research. A re-assessment of current dissemination strategies appears to be in order.

John D. Westbrook, Ph.D.
Director, NCDDR

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