No abstract

The article describes the work of the first three authors, who are young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), on an 'inclusive research' project. For this project, these young adult activists worked together with university researchers and students, and with organizations serving disabled people as active members of the research team. Through this research project, 24 participants who were youths with IDD were interviewed about their important relationships and the activities they do in their communities. The research found that belonging really matters to the youths interviewed. These young adult activists talk about some of the activities they they did as research team members and some of their important contributions to the research. For example, they participated in writing the interview questions, recruiting study participants, and making a film about what the research found.