When researching the topic of disability, how can researchers know if their methods are the right ones? Do all the standard academically accepted methods used in research projects suit this topic? Are they inclusive research methods?
Inclusive research methods: do the right job and do the job right
Researchers with the lived experience of disability are few and far between. Those who do exist are often schooled in the mainstream methods. So how can research methods be tested to show that they are doing the right job? Simple answer: involve people with disability from the start with the design of the research and again in the analysis.
It’s one thing to do the job right (accepted methods), but it another to be doing the right job (the job that needs to be done). The author cautions:
“When doing research as a disabled person studying disabled subjects, it is important to consider your own identity and how it influences your research process. … Simply studying your own disability does not give you a magic insight into the experiences of others…”
The title of this academic paper indicates a very academic approach to the subject, but further into the article, the writing becomes more accessible: Problematizing Reflexivity, Validity, and Disclosure: Research by People with Disabilities About Disability, by James Sheldon, University of Arizona. The paper also discusses the LGBTQ community as another disenfranchised group when it comes to research.