Becoming a researcher

Abstract

Accessible summary This paper is about three people with learning disabilities. They work as co‐researchers. They have written this paper with support. Support is important to them. It has helped them to do the research. They each have a personal assistant. Other people working on the project also help them. They have had training and practised what they needed to do before asking other people questions. They have learnt a lot of new skills and have made a lot of decisions about the project. They enjoy their work and hope that other people will learn from their stories. They hope that other people with learning disabilities will want to do research. Summary People with learning disabilities are increasingly taking on the role of researcher within participatory research projects. This paper talks about what it means to be a researcher using the words, views and experiences of three people with learning disabilities who are currently working as co‐researchers. It talks about what they have found helpful, and what they have found challenging. It compares their experiences to those of other people and highlights the importance of support. Overall they report that it has been a positive experience which has helped them to learn a great deal and they provide advice that they hope will help others thinking about taking on such a role.

Evaluating a Research Training Programme for People with Intellectual Disabilities Participating in Inclusive Research: The Views of Participants

“…; Flood et al . ). There are also recommendations to include ethical issues related to research (Burke et al .…”

“…; Flood et al . ) and sufficiently accessible materials be used for participants (Burke et al . ; Flood et al .…”

Inclusive research: An Irish perspective

“…() described feelings of pride and accomplishment. Others wrote about inclusive research providing a sense of purpose and belonging (Tilly, ) increased confidence, independence and freedom (Flood, Bennett, Melsome, & Northway, ). These perspectives of people with intellectual disabilities are typically conveyed via co‐authorship with nondisabled researchers.…”

Apoyando la participación real de las personas con discapacidad intelectual: una experiencia de investigación inclusiva sobre vida independiente

“…Para contribuir a la construcción del equipo de investigación, planificar y desarrollar acciones de formación sobre investigación dirigidas a los investigadores con discapacidad puede constituir una estrategia potente. La necesidad de formación en investigación es un tema reconocido tanto por investigadores sin discapacidad (Bigby y Frawley, 2010;Johnson, 2009;Pallisera y Puyalto, 2014;Puyalto et al, 2016;Strnadová et al, 2014;Walmsley, 2004;Walmsley y Johnson, 2003;Ward y Simons, 1998) como por las propias personas con discapacidad que han participado en investigaciones llevadas a cabo de forma inclusiva (Abell et al, 2007;Burke et al, 2003;Butler et al 2012;Flood et al, 2012;White y Morgan, 2012). Como plantean Nind et al (2015) la cuestión de la formación no es neutra, puesto que implica plantear cual es el objetivo de la formación: ¿se trata de facilitar el aprendizaje de competencias relacionadas con la investigación para que los investigadores con discapacidad puedan abordar tareas más complejas a lo largo del proceso?, ¿o bien contribuir a proporcionar a las personas con discapacidad un rol y un estatus socialmente valorado como colaboradores en procesos rigurosos de contribución a la creación de conocimiento?…”

“…Se sugiere también plantear suficientes actividades prácticas para aplicar los conocimientos (Abell et al, 2007;Flood et al, 2012) y utilizar materiales accesibles para los participantes (Flood et al, 2012;Burke et al, 2003;Salmon et al, 2014;Carey et al, 2014). Además, se recomienda incluir en la formación cuestiones éticas relacionadas con la investigación (Abell et al, 2007;Burke et al, 2003) y que los participantes puedan interactuar con grupos de personas con discapacidad que realizan investigaciones colaborativas para compartir experiencias (Flood et al, 2012). Johnson (2009), en el proyecto "No longer researching about us without us", insiste en las posibilidades del role playing y las prácticas de observación.…”