By: Florence Ndagire – Senior Disability Researcher

The motto “Nothing for us without us” was introduced by the disability movement and the principle of “leaving no one behind” was adopted by the sustainable development goals. It is a call to action to promote and support disability-inclusive research by recognising the contribution of persons with disabilities to knowledge, research, and scholarship. 

Most research cultures have been largely exclusionary towards disability-inclusive research, and the voices of persons with disabilities have remained invisible in existing literature. Working with disabled people as colleagues and research partners requires a broad understanding that disabled people play a huge contribution to research by building the knowledge base on the subject of disability. The spirit of teamwork is vital, and putting disabled people at the centre of programming helps them be in charge of designing research programmes. Very often, recruiting disabled people as research partners diversifies qualitative, quantitative, and participatory research by contributing to scholarship and improving disability-based evidence research, which supports advocacy and thereby contributes to the change they aim for.

“What ideas do you have for working with disabled people as research colleagues and partners?”

Persons with disability in the research environment

Perhaps it is useful to ask how persons with disabilities contribute to the research environment. Their presence or absence, by choice or omission, is not only a statement of the social and cultural values implicit in a research team and its partners but also a reflection of our broader expectations of society as a whole. Inclusion of persons with disabilities as research colleagues and partners is not, in essence, about complying with policies and laws. It is the acknowledgement of the wholeness of our human experience and its potential. Persons with disabilities contribute to both our individuality and collectivity. Very often, recruiting disabled people as research partners diversifies qualitative, quantitative, and participatory research by contributing to scholarship and improving disability-based evidence research, which supports advocacy and thereby contributes to the change they want. Therefore, disabled people must be encouraged to contribute to scholarship by developing journal articles and designing research projects. 

However, working with disabled people requires a friendly environment that is inclusive and accessible for all; a barrier-free environment is a better one for those without disabilities. In this working relationship, the following principles must be observed: 

• Respect for the inherent dignity, autonomy and independence of persons with disabilities; 
• Non-discrimination; accessibility; acceptance of disability as part of the human difference and diversity; 
• Equal opportunities; equality between men and women; support and reasonable accommodation.

Transformative Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Individuals with Disabilities and Researchers

Artificial intelligence tools have made remarkable strides beyond enhancing the workplace environment, particularly in enhancing accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Voice-activated AI technologies such as Siri, Alexa, and Echo have revolutionised communication by providing voice narration of text and image descriptions for those with visual impairments. Text-to-speech features and their reverse have significantly aided individuals with brain injuries in communication and understanding.

In the realm of research, AI tools have undergone substantial improvements, fostering an environment that allows researchers to analyse data and manage their projects more effectively. These advancements have been especially beneficial for researchers with disabilities, offering them smart assistance that supports their daily activities and empowers them to overcome barriers in their work. AI-augmented learning environments, speech and language support tools, cognitive systems, and inclusive design practices are just a few examples of how AI transforms the landscape for researchers with disabilities, enabling them to achieve their full potential. Therefore, by incorporating accommodations and assistive technology into research and scholarship practices, academic institutions and researchers can create a more inclusive and diverse environment that values the perspectives and contributions of all individuals. This will not only benefit individuals with disabilities but also enrich the overall research community by promoting different ways of thinking and problem-solving.

Disabilities and interpersonal, social and cultural norms within research team environments

Disabled people, nonetheless, present different access issues. These might vary greatly depending on a person’s category of disability. These potentially present multiple barriers that might frustrate good relationships within a team, the research process, and the potential of the person with disabilities to be truly integrated and progress to leadership positions.

Apart from diverse physical barriers to persons with disabilities, the workplace itself can present attitudinal barriers. Discrimination, stigma, prejudice and stereotypes are inevitably part of our broader inherited cultures. Staff without disabilities must become aware of physical and attitudinal barriers and how they might support and accommodate disabled people in the workplace. However, they should be equally aware of examples of how successful integration with research colleagues has resulted in the deconstructing of stigma, stereotypes and prejudice and the success of research outcomes as a result. 

Indeed, putting disabled people at the centre of the research design and programming will inevitably impact both the process and its outcomes. Outcomes that laud the inherent dignity, autonomy and independence of persons with disabilities; non-discrimination; accessibility; and acceptance of disability as part of human difference and diversity. 

Research and disability

Persons with disabilities should make a much greater contribution to research. They and their organisations can identify and prioritise their issues as lived experiences of social and cultural interaction that may discriminate against them. Recruiting disabled people as research colleagues and partners, therefore, helps to diversify social and cultural insights and reflectivity. Integration into all the research processes for qualitative, quantitative and participatory research thus contributes considerably to scholarship. 

Disabled people need to be given opportunities to train colleagues and research partners on inclusive approaches to conducting research, take the lead as principal researchers and provide research conducted by them in line with the motto of “nothing for us without us” being accepted by the disabled people’s movement and the principle of live no one behind by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

Barrier-free research environment

What might a barrier-free research environment for people with disabilities look like? It calls for an inclusive system to support and accommodate the unique needs presented by different categories of people with disabilities. People with disabilities still face numerous challenges and barriers when it comes to accessing and participating in research and scholarship. One major barrier is the lack of accessibility in research facilities and institutions, which may prevent individuals with disabilities from physically accessing resources and participating in studies.

It may require the support and training of institutional colleagues to facilitate access to the built environment and provide information in accessible formats that respond to persons with disabilities’ specific needs. Consultation with individual persons with disabilities and their representative organisations should become the basis for a living institutional policy on persons with disabilities. Infrastructural and cultural accommodation will require team commitment and a budget matching these commitments.