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Being researchers for the first time: reflections on the development of an inclusive research group
- Author:
- TILLY Liz
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 43(2), 2015, pp.121-127.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Money, Friends and Making Ends Meet was an inclusive research project; it enabled a group of people with a learning disability who do not receive specialist support services to explore their own lives. This group are often labelled as having a mild learning disability. The research project focused on the strategies they used to cope with day to day living, their experiences of poverty and the support received from their social networks and social capital. The group members found participation in the research project enabled them to have a voice, identify the social barriers in their lives and gave them support and confidence to take action about them and so resolve some of their difficulties. They also embraced the label of learning disability and wanted staff in front-line services to be aware of this, so they had greater understanding and support. This article is written by the instigator of the research group, but with a central part written by the group members in their own words. It focusses on how participation in the research project had a major impact on the group members as they moved from individuals involved in a short term research project to an established research group with its own motivation and direction. The group has since received further grant funding to research the effects of the welfare reform on their lives, and some have completed a bespoke accredited course on doing inclusive research. (Publisher abstract)
Living in Sandwell: an exploratory study into the key issues and challenges that affect a small group of people with mild learning disabilities
- Author:
- TILLY Liz
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 5(2), October 2008, pp.225-238.
- Publisher:
- South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust and University of Huddersfield
This paper is concerned with a small group of people with a mild learning disability; who they are and what their lives are like. This group is not typically known by the label of mild learning disability in research, social policy or in service provision, due to a lack of suitable assessment or identification methods. This small study, using focus groups as a data collection method and undertaken as a pilot study for further research, has shown this group experienced wide ranging social disadvantage, and difficulties and challenges in daily living due to their learning disability. These included travel, shopping, parenting, lack of IT skills, plus experiencing local anti-social behaviour on a regular basis. Lack of recognition and appropriate support can leave them vulnerable to a range of difficulties and issues including social isolation and harassment.