Responding to the needs of people with learning disabilities who have been raped: co-production in action

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss a project that explored why mainstream rape support services are still failing to meet the needs of women with learning disabilities. Principles of co-production and action learning enabled a group of women, including women with learning disabilities, to share knowledge and skills and develop easy-read information leaflets. Design/methodology/approach – The project included representatives from a university, a third sector organisation and a rape crisis centre. Action learning methods were used to bring together a broad range of experience and expertise. The project was co-led by a woman with a learning disability and a lecturer in social work with people with learning disabilities. Findings – Three organisations had been toiling with a similar issue, that of responses to women with learning disabilities who had been raped. All had previously examined the problem from their own perspectives. An action learning process enabled them to explore the issues from a range of experiences, sharing knowledge and expertise and enabling them to begin to develop better service responses. While co-production may highlight competing priorities in and between organisations, it can also provide the means of managing these tensions. Social implications – The project demonstrated the importance of co-production. Working together led to a shared understanding of the barriers experienced by women with learning disabilities who experience rape and of the challenges faced by workers who aim to support them. This shared understanding enabled the action learning set to develop bespoke training and literature. Originality/value – The project demonstrates the importance of working with people with learning disabilities in order to develop services that truly meet their needs.

Developing Better Services for Intimate Partner Violence: Hearing the Voice of Disabled People

“…Some papers deal with tackling IPV in the context of disabled people (e.g. [9]), but a clear gap also exists on this issue.…”

More than pictures: who sets the agenda for sexuality education for people with learning disabilities?

“…In this way the research partners can be seen to be setting the agenda for discussion. Finally, Olsen and Carter (2016) describe co-production of accessible literature for women with learning disabilities who have experienced sexual abuse. While the paper is written with an academic tone, it is clear that the work was led by the needs of the women with learning disabilities and that Carter, a woman with Down syndrome, was key to the success of the project due to her unique insight as a researcher who had also experienced abuse and was skilled in the development of accessible resources.…”

“I was Excited by the Idea of a Project that Focuses on those Unasked Questions” Co‐Producing Disability Research with Disabled Young People

“…Currently, all Living Life to the Fullest Co‐Researchers are disabled young women. It's important to note here that we have found very little literature that explicitly focuses on gender, co‐production and research leadership (although there are quality exceptions — see Olsen and Carter, ), making our contributions in this article important towards thinking through the intersectional lives and identities of disabled co‐researchers; how class, race, age, gender, sexuality and nation — as well as impairment and its effects (see Thomas, ) — impact participation, involvement and inclusion in contexts of co‐production research.…”

“…Furthermore, Mitchell (: 1747) draws attention to a change in the pace of research where disabled children and young people are involved: that ‘listening to disabled children can take time and negotiating access may involve a range of adults, not only parents/carers but also professionals’. Olsen and Carter (: 6), who carried out co‐production research on rape and support with learning disabled women, noted that working in ethical ways with learning disabled women as co‐researchers ‘took more time than funders wanted’. They reported that each part of the project took several weeks because of the extra time women needed to process information (Olsen and Carter, ).…”

“…Olsen and Carter (: 6), who carried out co‐production research on rape and support with learning disabled women, noted that working in ethical ways with learning disabled women as co‐researchers ‘took more time than funders wanted’. They reported that each part of the project took several weeks because of the extra time women needed to process information (Olsen and Carter, ). Thus, while co‐production research — inquiry that seeks to embody equity, partnership and meaningful collaboration — makes attempts to unsettle the problematic power dynamics inherent to academic research, Olsen and Carter's () experiences show this can often be compromised by neoliberal academic and funding structures that restrict innovative and equitable ways of working with marginalised communities.…”