Four people with disabilities in a row. Two are wheelchair users. One man is holding a cane. One man is pointing up to the title which reads What is inclusive research?

What is Inclusive Research?

Introduction

Research is a crucial aspect of driving decision-making and shaping policies. However, traditional research methods have often overlooked the voices and perspectives of marginalised groups, including people with disabilities. To ensure that research findings and recommendations have a meaningful impact, it is crucial to adopt an equity-based approach that involves co-producing research with people who have lived experience of disability.

Here are some guidelines, checklists and examples to facilitate inclusive research practices and promote co-ownership of research with people with disability. See also How to do Inclusive Research: Tips and Ideas.

Inclusive research requires an ethic of respect for the lives, views and experiences of people with intellectual disabilities, and for the knowledge they hold and can add to the research process. – A Chalachanová, et al., Building Relationships in Inclusive Research in Diverse Contexts, Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 2020

Guidelines, Checklists and Examples

Introductory

Easy Read guide titled - Doing research and projects with people with an intellectual disability. The Inclusion Australia logo is in top left hand corner. There are 3 easy read photos with text.

In depth

Report cover title in white reads Why am I always being researched? A guidebook for community organizations, researchers, and funders to help us get from insufficient understanding to more authentic truth. The Chicago Beyond logo is in the bottom right hand corner. The image is a photo of a young man with dark skin and dreadlocks wearing a beanie and a blue jacket.

Inclusive Research in Action

Inclusive Research Examples from Organisations

People With Disability Australia PWDA is committed to research that is community led and preferably driven by people with disability. We support Inclusive Research frameworks and strongly advocate for genuine co-creation of research with people with disability that is fully recognised. – PWDA

Working with Data

The disability data advocacy toolkit was created by CBM Global Disability Inclusion in response to increasing interest and requests from persons with disabilities and their representative organizations from all over the world. The aim of this toolkit is to contribute to the growing global dialogue on the importance of data on persons with disabilities, specifically to provide some basic knowledge on data collection, analysis, and use of data for evidence-based advocacy to influence policy and decision-makers.

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