Involving people with communication disability in research in Uganda: A response to the World Report on Disability

Jones, Isla, Marshall, Julie, Lawthom, Rebecca and Read, Jennifer (2015) Involving people with communication disability in research in Uganda: A response to the World Report on Disability. International journal of speech-language pathology, 15 (1). pp. 75-78. ISSN 1754-9507

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Abstract

The World Report on Disability recommends more involvement of people with disabilities in research. However, the lead article by Wylie, McAllister, Davidson, and Marshall (2013) has not addressed issues relating specifically to the involvement of people with communication disabilities in research. This deserves careful consideration. Involving people with communication difficulties in research forefronts discussion and collaboration, and requires researchers to focus on the priorities and needs of people with communication disabilities in their locality. Taking a participatory approach to research can develop a rich, context-specific understanding of communication disabilities. This paper uses the first author's experience preparing for a participatory research project in Uganda, to outline, particularly with reference to the Majority World, the benefits and challenges of engaging people with communication disabilities in research.