The Impact of Organizational Supports on the Person-Centered Health of People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have significantly poorer health than the general population. A key threat to health programs for people with IDD is commitment from stakeholders, especially service organizations. The aim of this study was to explore the role disability service organizations play in promoting the best possible physical and mental health of people with IDD. To do so, this study analyzed secondary Personal Outcome Measures (R) data from 1,341 people with IDD in the United States using binary logistic regressions. Our findings revealed that organizational supports can play a key role in promoting the health of people with IDD. By paying attention to all of these aspects of health and supports, especially discrepancies in supports, service organizations can work to counteract health disparities in those they support.