Ļć½¶Ö±²„researchers nationally recognized for best NIDILRR-funded paper
Contact: Bethany Shipp
STARKVILLE, Miss.āThree Mississippi State researchers have earned national recognition as recipients of the Best Research Paper Award from NARRTC, an association dedicated to federally funded disability and rehabilitation research.
The award-winning team includes Michele McDonnall, director of MSUās National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision, or NRTC; Karla Antonelli, NRTC research scientist; and Emily Marett, instructor in MSUās College of Business.
NARRTC, which recently changed its name to the Alliance for NIDILRR Grantees, represents organizations and individuals who have received grants from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research.
The Ļć½¶Ö±²„teamās manuscript āImproving Knowledge and Attitudes via an Interactive Video: A Randomized Controlled Trialā was selected by NARRTC as the best peer-reviewed, NIDILLR-funded paper in 2025. NIDILRR grantees publish approximately 400 peer-reviewed journal articles per year, with NARRTC reviewing award nominees. According to NARRTC, the selection committee applied ārigorous review criteria that consider novelty, importance, methodology and significanceā and noted the āhigh qualityā of the Ļć½¶Ö±²„scholarsā work.
Ā āWe are thrilled to receive this national honor for our research,ā McDonnall said. āWe appreciate the funding that NIDILRR has provided to help us conduct research to improve employment opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision.ā
Published in the Rehabilitation Psychology journal, the manuscript explores the effectiveness of a new resource created by the NRTCāan interactive, educational video titled āQuestions About Vision Lossāāin improving knowledge, attitudes and intent to hire people who are blind or have low vision. McDonnall said negative employer attitudes are a major barrier to employment for this population and education can help improve employer attitudes.
The video was found to improve knowledge, attitudes and intent to hire, and it provides an on-demand option for employer education. It is available at .
āParticipants in our study found the interactive video engaging and interesting,ā Marett said. āWeāre really excited for more employers to utilize this resource and reduce barriers for employment of people with vison loss.ā
MSUās College of Education, home of the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision, also includes four additional academic departments, a division of education, one research unit and numerous service units. Learn more atĀ .
Learn more about MSUās College of Business at .
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