Social inclusion of LGBTQ and gender diverse adults with intellectual disability in disability services: A systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and gender diverse adults with intellectual disability experience exclusion within disability services. OBJECTIVE: This review explores the experiences of social inclusion/exclusion of this cohort in the context of disability services. SEARCH METHOD: A systematic search was conducted of peer-reviewed research published between January 2014 and April 2019. Five databases returned 66 articles plus three from hand searches. APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS: Nine articles were included in this review. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool was used to assess the quality of the research. NVivo 12 was used as a tool to organise the articles. RESULTS: Marginalisation of LGBTQ adults with intellectual disability in western societies is mirrored in disability organisations. There remains a dearth of research into experiences of transgender people with intellectual disability who use disability services. CONCLUSIONS: Research into interventions that support the inclusion of this cohort in disability support services is needed.