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Hi
In regard of ' nothing about us without us' and Axels comments about history.
I guess one of the differences is that (non-disabled) ' experts' can and do make decisions that impact on peoples lives, often without reference to peoples own perspectives. This is especially prevalent in the lives of people with learning difficulties.
When providing an historical account - sure you are speaking about people, but you are not making decisions that can impact on their own life experiences as they are already dead. As an historian the key is in the interpretation. It could be suggested that the closer you were to the type of culture or any other variables within the research the more likely you would be to offer a valid interpretation.
Afterall, you wouldn' t be likely to ask a positivist to embark on an intensive qualitative study.
I am a researcher and I work in the field of learning difficulties - I certainly feel I have a perspective to offer - but only as an ally. For me it' s about being careful to choose the appropriate places to be researching in a way that doesn' t attempt to take the platform or, worse, supersede the voices of people themselves. For example, I think it' s quite acceptable for non disabled supporters to research the role of providing support - but if you want to know about the impact of that support you really need a person-led study focusing on the people receiving the support. Knowing the relevant questions to ask (and the impact of them) is obviously going to be easier and clearer (and more valid) if you have that insight and experience yourself.
This is why it' s important that people with learning difficulties have access to the training (and jobs) to become researchers in their own right, something that has been called for time and again but unfortunately has so far fallen on stony ground.
At the moment the academy is wholly unwelcoming to people with learning difficulties as researchers despite the constant government calls for inclusive research and the demands of many funders that research is participative. There is a distinct mis-match in the reality of job opportunities which is really suffocating people' s voices.
Over the years I have heard many arguments put forward by non-disabled academics about why they have a place in disability research. I have also heard a lot of reasons why - people with learning difficulties in particular - think they are misguided. There are also views about why should people with learning difficulties only conduct research about disability- why not tackle other wider research?
I always think about how it feels when someone who doesn' t know you very well makes assumptions about you or decides a certain course of action for you without bothering to ask. Those feelings of being sidelined happen to everyone at some point and they are deeply unpleasant - so why would we want to continue researching in that way?
Nothing about us without us is a political statement based on power inequality. We need to address it.
Kind Regards
Rohhss Chapman
Dr. Rohhss Chapman
First Year Programme Manager
Learning Disability Studies Degree
School of Education
A6.2 Ellen Wilkinson Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
Direct Line: 0161 275 8477
Internal: 58477
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