Photovoice With Vulnerable Populations: Addressing Disparities in Health Promotion Among People With Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

Eliminating health disparities is a national priority. People with intellectual disabilities (PWID) are a vulnerable group that experiences health disparities. However, their health disparities have largely been overlooked. Photovoice is an effective method for engaging PWID in health promotion planning and research. This article discusses the importance of including PWID as a priority group, presents a Photovoice project among Latinos with ID, and concludes with recommendations for employing Photovoice with PWID. The Photovoice project was a part of a larger pilot study that aimed to enable the voices of Latinos with ID and guide the development of health promotion programs at a community agency. The findings were presented in reports and at a town hall meeting during which attendees responded and developed actions steps for improving health promotion for PWID. Each Photovoice participant received a scrapbook of their photographs as a keepsake of their experiences participating in the project [corrected]