Bernadette Kelly

Community participation and inclusion: people with disabilities defining their place

Disability‐related public policy currently emphasises reducing the number of people experiencing exclusion from the spaces of the social and economic majority as being the pre‐eminent indicator of inclusion. Twenty‐eight adult, New Zealand vocational service users collaborated in a participatory action research project to develop shared understandings of community participation. Analysis of their narratives suggests that spatial indices of inclusion are quiet in potentially oppressive ways about the ways mainstream settings can be experienced by people with disabilities and quiet too about the alternative, less well sanctioned communities to which people with disabilities have always belonged. Participants identified five key attributes of place as important qualitative antecedents to a sense of community belonging. The potential of these attributes and other self‐authored approaches to inclusion are explored as ways that people with disabilities can support the policy objective of effecting a transformation from disabling to inclusive communities.

‘Chocolate … makes you autism’: impairment, disability and childhood identities

This paper discusses perceptions and experiences of impairment and disability from the perspectives of learning disabled children, their parents and their social workers. The author reports on findings from her doctoral study that adults often fail to take into account the views and experiences of learning disabled children. As a result, these children developed their own interpretations of impairment and disability based on their experiences and interactions with others. Whilst this indicates that they are active social interpreters, it also suggests that adults should make greater efforts to inform and consult learning disabled children. The author concludes by reflecting on the relevance of these findings to contemporary theories of disability and childhood.This paper discusses perceptions and experiences of impairment and disability from the perspectives of learning disabled children, their parents and their social workers. The author reports on findings from her doctoral study that adults often fail to take into account the views and experiences of learning disabled children. As a result, these children developed their own interpretations of impairment and disability based on their experiences and interactions with others. Whilst this indicates that they are active social interpreters, it also suggests that adults should make greater efforts to inform and consult learning disabled children. The author concludes by reflecting on the relevance of these findings to contemporary theories of disability and childhood.

Methodological Issues for Qualitative Research with Learning Disabled Children

This paper discusses key methodological issues for qualitative research with learning disabled children, based on the author’s experience of involving learning disabled children in her doctoral study. The study was founded on the social model of disability and a sociological understanding of childhood that recognizes the abilities of disabled children as competent research participants. Issues that arose throughout the research process, from the early stages of gaining access to children, to communication challenges for interviewing learning disabled children, and the analysis and dissemination of data, are discussed. Within this context, this paper explores key methodological issues for researchers with regard to interviewing learning disabled children and actively involving them in qualitative research.

Including disabled children at school: is it really as simple as ‘a, c, d’?

This paper presents and discusses a social justice strategy that may progress inclusion in schools. The framework for this strategy is grounded in the theoretical discussions by Nancy Fraser and Trevor Gale about distributive, redistributive, and recognitive models of social justice. None of these theoretical frameworks, however, in themselves, offer a clear way forward for marginalised and misrecognised groups, such as disabled children, who need both educational resources and recognition in inclusive classrooms. The authors propose, however, that the work of Fraser and Gale combines into a social justice strategy, which consists of three elements (agency, competency, and diversity, or ‘a, c, d’) that can lead to inclusion. When disabled children are provided with the opportunity to exercise their agency, demonstrate their competence, and transform and affirm notions of diversity, then inclusion is more likely to occur in the classroom. Data from two research projects are presented using this framework to illustrate this argument, and the proposed ‘a, c, d’ social justice strategy towards inclusion.

The views of young people in Northern Ireland on anti-sectarianism.

This article reports the findings from a series of “Talkshops”—interactive facilitated discussions—undertaken with 114 young people from six secondary schools serving one town within Northern Ireland. The young people first met with the researchers in their own schools, then an elected group came together in combined Talkshops and, finally, a group of six young people, one from each school, met with the researchers to help analyse the data and prepare a presentation on the results. Through the Talkshops the young people explored their views on sectarianism, and the factors they felt helped such attitudes develop; they considered how this impacted on their day‐to‐day lives and how they had learned to deal with difference. They also considered how things could be different in the future, suggesting ways to promote anti‐sectarianism. The article reports the views of the young people, concluding with their summary statement—the message these young people wanted to be heard by adults within Northern Ireland.

Young People's Views on Communities and Sectarianism in Northern Ireland

Current legislation, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the Children (NI) Order (1995) and the Northern Ireland Act (1998), places an increasing emphasis on directly consulting children and young people in Northern Ireland. Within this context, there is a growing interest in the authentic views of children and young people on sectarianism. This paper discusses the process and findings from three Young National Childrens Bureau talk-shops that provides insight into young peoples views on growing up in communities in Northern Ireland and their experiences of sectarianism.

Peer Research with Young People Leaving Care: Reflections from Research in England, Northern Ireland and Argentina

This chapter draws on the experiences of three care leaver studies from England, Northern Ireland and Argentina, which were each underpinned by a participatory methodology. It considers the experience and impact of utilizing peer research (PR) approaches, outlining the processes of recruiting, training and supporting care leavers to become peer researchers. Benefits for the personal and professional development of peer researchers and for participant recruitment and quality of data are reported. The chapter considers the balance between the additional support and costs of PR with the added value to the study. Lessons for successful PR in care leaver studies are identified, including comprehensive training, practical assistance, assessment of risk, opportunities to co-interview, emotional support and ethical guidance. The continued role of peer researchers during data analysis and dissemination is also highlighted in order to facilitate their engagement with policy makers and service providers, and involvement in research impact activities.

“I haven't read it, I've lived it!” The benefits and challenges of peer research with young people leaving care:

Peer research is increasingly being used in research with children and young people. As a result, there is a growing understanding of both the benefits and challenges of involving young peer researchers in qualitative research. This article aims to add to that understanding by providing a detailed account and reflection of the involvement of care leavers as peer researchers in the qualitative case study phase of a three-year, mixed method study of the transitions of young people leaving care in Northern Ireland. It is one of only a few studies on leaving care in which peer research is central to the design. Particular attention is given to the benefits and challenges for all of the stakeholders involved in the research study: the participants, peer researchers, academic researchers and supporting partner organisation. Key learning points are identified and it is concluded that, despite the considerable challenges, peer research should become a routine consideration as a fruitful means of co-production in the design of care leaver research.

The effects of the troubles on child psychiatric disorders in Northern Hieland

Abstract The paper examines some of the research undertaken into the effects of the troubles on the children of Northern Ireland. It questions if the studies to date have been too global and not sufficiently geared towards children from more vulnerable situations. It considers some of the issues facing practitioners and service managers in this field.