MOD - Human dignity and participation

Purpose and objectives

The MOD research programme aims to address the significant need for scientific knowledge in the disability field, particularly from a social science perspective. Running from 2022 to 2026, the program focuses on increasing social inclusion and participation of people with disabilities, especially those with physical disabilities.

Key aspects of the MOD research program include:

• Interdisciplinary approach: The program recognizes the complexity of disability issues and seeks to understand them holistically.
• Inclusion of people with disabilities: Research questions and processes involve individuals with disabilities to ensure relevance and accessibility of results.
• Focus on social science perspectives: While medical and psychological research on disabilities is well-established, there is a gap in social science research with a disability perspective.
• Practical applications: The program aims to strengthen scientific evidence for practice and policy in the disability field.
• Knowledge dissemination: In addition to research projects, the program includes training initiatives and knowledge sharing.

The MOD program addresses the need for research on the interaction between individuals with disabilities and their environment (the relational model of disability). This approach can provide valuable insights into everyday life, living conditions, and rights of people with disabilities, ultimately contributing to reducing disability-creating processes and improving their quality of life.

Organization and Structure

The MOD program is based at the Department of Social Work (ISA) at Marie Cederschiöld University (formerly Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University). It is founded by DHR Grant Foundation and Marie Cederschiöld University.
The program forms a central part of the department’s research strategy ‘Social Work for Social Justice’, focusing on two themes: violations of dignity and rights, and creating and maintaining participation and rights.
The program is led by a professor and includes researchers, a PhD position specializing in disability, and two postdoc positions focusing on disability research. The professor maintains a continuous dialogue with the DHR Grant Foundation on the development of the MOD program. DHR Grant Foundation receives an annual progress report on the work within the program.

Research projects

The MOD program is comprised of several research projects that focus on different aspects of living with disabilities in Sweden today. The projects are conducted by more than ten researchers at the Department of Social Work (ISA) at Marie Cederschiöld University, in collaboration with researchers from the school's other departments and national and international colleagues.

The program consists of several research projects with disability themes that investigate for exemaple:

• Municipal guidelines for LSS support and services
• Experiences of being represented by a guardian
• Experiences of individualized support
• Implementation and application of Active Support in group homes
• User influence in group homes and daily activities
• Health promotion and violence prevention in the disability field
• COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on people with disabilities
• Transition to adulthood for people with mobility impairments

Activities planned within the program

The MOD-program at Marie Cederschiöld University aims to strengthen disability research and education through various initiatives.

Education and Student Opportunities

Disability is a growing field of work for social workers. The program contributes to strengthening disability elements in social work education by enhancing disability-related content in the social work curriculum at Marie Cederschiöld University.

The program offers scholarships for students to study abroad with a focus on the field of disability. "Lightning grants" are available for short-term international study visits and collaborations.

Local, national and international collaborations

To further strengthen disability research, the MOD program collaborates within the University with researchers from the Department of Care Sciences (IVV) and at the Department of Civil Society and Religion (ICR), as well as with the organizations that make up Marie Cederschiöld University’s owners.

The program builds on existing national and international research networks and initiates new ones to facilitate knowledge exchange for research and practice, and comparative studies. In addition it utilizes networks like Nordplus, Erasmus+, and Minor Field Studies/Linnaeus-Palme for international collaboration.

Research Dissemination

The program hosts an annual seminar that serves as a platform for identifying research needs and disseminating results in the disability field, while also addressing issues pertinent to society and disability policy. In the final year of the program, a conference will be organized focusing on contemporary Swedish disability research.

A dedicated website has been created for the research program. And the MOD program is working on an anthology to showcase current Swedish disability research, focusing on the program’s scientific contributions.

Eriksson, M., Ingemarson, M., Kassman, A., Robertsson, K. & Tideman. M. (2025). Utvärdering av VIP (Viktig Intressant Person): ett våldsförebyggande program för personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning. (2025:16). Stockholm: Länsstyrelsen Stockholm.

Ingemarson, M., Oom, N., Aspling, J. & Tideman, M. (2025). Implementering av arbetssättet Active support i Sverige: Erfarenheter från fyra gruppbostäder för personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning. Stockholm: Marie Cederschiöld högskola.

Tideman, M., Börjeson, M., Hultman, L., Segnestam Larsson, O. & Wollter, F. (2025). Leder individuella stöd till delaktighet?: Om process- och resultatdelaktighet för personer med omfattande funktionsnedsättningar med LSS-insatser. Stockholm: Marie Cederschiöld högskola.

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Aspling, J., Svärd, V. & Tideman, M. (2024). Active support as a good support in group homes? A longitudinal interview study with service users. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability.

Aspling, J., Svärd, V., Humphreys, L., Bigby, C. & Tideman, M. (2024). A Scoping Review of Outcomes Measured and Involvement of People With Intellectual Disabilities in Active Support Research. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 37(6).

Hultman, L. & Tideman, M. (2024). Brukarinflytande i daglig verksamhet och gruppboende: Ett pilotprojekt om BIKVA och Qualid i LSS-verksamheter. Stockholm: Marie Cederschiöld högskola.

Börjeson, M. & Tideman, M. (2024). Leder individuella stöd till delaktighet?: En kunskapskartläggning. Stockholm: Marie Cederschiöld högskola.

Segnestam Larsson, O. & Tideman, M. (2024). Kommunala riktlinjer för LSS-insatser: En uppföljning. Stockholm: Marie Cederschiöld högskola.

Hultman, L. and Hultman, M. (2023) "Believe me, only I know how I feel.” An autoethnographic account of experiences of epistemic injustice in mental health care. Frontiers in Psychiatry 14:1058422.

Holmqvist, A., Eriksson, M. & Tideman, M. (2023). Being represented by others due to diminished decision capacity: a review of research literature. Nordic Social Work Research, 13(3), 445-459.

Hultman, L., Tideman, M. & Eriksson, M. (2022). ‘A Limited Guardian Should First and Foremost Get to Know the Person He Helps’—Experiences of Having a Limited Guardian from the Perspective of Adults with Intellectual Disability. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research 24(1): 288–301.

Linehan C., Birkbeck G., Araten-Bergman, T.m …. Tideman, M. et al. (2022). COVID-19 IDD: Findings from a global survey exploring family members’ and paid staff’s perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their caregivers. HRB Open Res 2022, 5:27.

Tideman, M. & Aspling, J. (2022). Covid-19-pandemins påverkan på personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning i Sverige: Anhörigas och personals erfarenheter efter sex månader. Socialvetenskaplig tidskrift. 28(4), 393-415.