On Becoming Scholars and Activists for Disability Rights

Self Cite

Community psychologists have contributed significantly to the body of literature on community-based participatory research (CBPR) and its application in understanding and addressing health and community participation disparities. At the core of CBPR are mutually beneficial partnerships with communities, whereby community members' voices are heard and they become co-researchers, helping guide the research process. In this article, I argue that for community psychologists to change the landscape of community participation, health, and well-being disparities experienced by many vulnerable populations who often face multiple forms of oppression, CBPR needs to be transformative and emancipatory. Stakeholders must be meaningfully involved as co-creators of knowledge and promoters of social justice embracing a human rights agenda. Drawing from work conducted with Latinx immigrant families with youth who have disabilities, I propose the following strategies moving forward: promoting meaningful participation of community members as co-creators of knowledge; promoting meaningful conversations that matter to communities; promoting civic engagement, activism, and advocacy; promoting an assets-and strengths-based approach to research; and promoting culturally relevant interventions. Community psychologists have the opportunity to make significant contributions to addressing disparities when community residents' knowledge is valued and recognized.

Section: Theoretical Background In Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Meaningful Engagement in Research: Community Residents as Co‐creators of Knowledge

Suárez-Balcázar

2020

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“…These factors are significant barriers that are deconstructed and eliminated to enhance social justice for individuals with disabilities. For instance, Balcazar and Suarez‐Balcazar (2016) and Suarez‐Balcazar et al (2022) identified employment, education, and environmental barriers in the infrastructure associated with issues of economic justice and citizen participation. Soffer et al (2010) addressed the barriers in policies and societal values regarding asset accumulation and income for people with disabilities, leading to extreme economic injustice.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We identified three papers that focused collectively on case studies illustrative of disability social justice projects and interventions that aim to enact other key principles of community psychology. Balcazar and Suarez‐Balcazar (2016) discussed the interaction between disability research and the field of community psychology by showcasing interventions in three areas: community living and participation, employment, and transition from high school. Similarly, in Suarez‐Balcazar et al (2022), three international case studies are presented that illustrate different interventions aimed at promoting social justice among groups experiencing marginalization.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The interventions and research proposed in the three articles directly address the question of improving access to resources as an intrinsic dimension of social justice. For instance, to support the employment of Black youth with disabilities, interventions proposed by community psychologists offer training and resources to access self‐employment opportunities (Balcazar & Suarez‐Balcazar, 2016; Soffer et al, 2010; Suarez‐Balcazar et al, 2022). From a social justice perspective, along with including people with disabilities as research collaborators, community psychology scholars have underscored the importance of bringing the voices of people with disabilities to the forefront in identifying research questions and designing community interventions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Disability rights and empowerment: Reflections on AJCP research and a call to action

Suarez‐Balcazar,

Balcazar,

Labbe

et al. 2023

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People living with physical, sensory, intellectual, and/or developmental disabilities experience complex social, environmental, political, and cultural challenges along with stigma and marginalization in education, employment, and community life. These multiple and complex barriers often hinder their full and effective participation in society. In this reflection, we curated articles on physical, sensory, intellectual, and/or developmental disabilities published in the American Journal of Community Psychology from 1973 to 2022. We reviewed titles and abstracts to identify themes that grouped manuscripts in relevant community psychology core concepts and values. From our analysis, five themes emerged: (a) promoting empowerment and advocacy; (b) promoting organizations and settings that support people with disabilities; (c) including people with disabilities in knowledge production; (d) promoting social justice in disability research, and (e) promoting support networks of families of people with disabilities. We conclude this reflection with a discussion of recommendations for future research, practice, and a call to action.

“…With a background in community activism from their native Bogota, Columbia, Balcazar and Suarez‐Balcazar () describe their training in community psychology in the 1980s as each obtained their doctoral degree in developmental and child psychology. They also describe their introduction to research and practice on individuals with disabilities, which eventually became their life's work.…”

Section: Introduction To the Special Issue: Reflections On Community mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflections on the Future of Community Psychology from the Generations after Swampscott: A Commentary and Introduction to the Special Issue

Tebes

2016

This special issue commemorates the 50th anniversary of the founding of U.S. community psychology in Swampscott, Massachusetts in 1965. The issue includes commentaries from a cross-section of community psychologists educated in community psychology training programs established after Swampscott, in the 1970s or later. The contributors, who vary in their involvement in community-engaged research, training, and practice, offer a diverse set of perspectives on the field. Each was asked to reflect on the future of community psychology based on their own training and experiences. After providing some background to the Swampscott Conference and the era in which it took place, I offer a few of my own reflections on community psychology's future growth and development. I then introduce the 15 commentaries that follow.