Co-design and preliminary evaluation of a quality measure for informational resources for people with disability

Access to clear, accurate and accessible information is essential for people with disability to exercise choice and control, as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. However, few tools exist to evaluate the quality of informational resources from the perspective of people with disability. This study aimed to co-design a pilot measure to assess the quality of informational resources for people with disability and to conduct a preliminary evaluation of its content validity. A mixed-methods design was applied, informed by best-practice guidance from COSMIN, Boateng et al. and co-design frameworks. Phase 1 involved a rapid review and four co-design workshops with four adults with physical and neurological disabilities to identify key constructs and develop a pilot measure. Phase 2 comprised two rounds of cognitive interviews (n = 20) and secondary analysis of pilot data (n = 74 responses) to assess content validity and item performance. Co-design contributors identified three core domains of informational quality-accessibility, informativeness and engagement-resulting in a 14-item pilot measure. Cognitive interviews demonstrated good comprehension, relevance and usability. Minor revisions improved clarity and accessibility, reducing the measure to 12 items. Secondary analysis indicated consistently high ratings across items, with responses clustered in the higher categories. This study produced the first co-designed measure for evaluating the quality of informational resources for people with disability. Centring lived experience in measure development provides a foundation for inclusive evaluation, supporting more accessible information, informed decision-making and greater autonomy.