Using video vignettes in research and program evaluation for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A case study of the Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP) project

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are often excluded from meaningful participation in research and program evaluation for various reasons, including protocols and measures that are inaccessible for people with varying cognitive and communication abilities. Emancipatory research models emphasize the importance of inclusive research practices. Video vignettes are a promising tool for research and program evaluation with people with IDD because they are standardized, they use visual imagery rather than relying on written or verbal communication, and they allow for distance from sensitive topics. The Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP) project used video vignettes to evaluate a healthy relationship program for people with IDD. The authors discuss the process of piloting various protocols and measures, which then ultimately led to the use of video vignettes in the evaluation. •People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) have historically been excluded from meaningful participation in research and program evaluation studies.•Vignettes are used to approximate real-life situations and provide windows into the actual behavior of study participants.•Video vignettes show promise for people with IDD because they create social distance and allow for discussion of sensitive topics.•Piloting of video vignettes showed promising results for using this methodology to better understand program outcomes for people with IDD.