FROM RESEARCH ABOUT US TO RESEARCH WITH US

This paper explores how a group of self-advocates with intellectual disabilities became involved in doing research on issues that were important in their lives, what this research meant to them, and how it has developed over the past several years. The paper describes some of the different ways in which inclusive research, or 'research with us, rather than about us,' can be done. As with any new approach to research, there are some frequently asked questions about inclusive research, such as: Why should we involve people with intellectual disabilities as researchers? What is the role of an 'academic researcher' in doing inclusive research? What does being a researcher mean to people with intellectual disabilities? What effect does the involvement of people with intellectual disabilities have on the quality of the research? Our paper will try to answer these questions using a national inclusive research project in the Republic of Ireland to examine some of the problems that we encountered and how we tried to solve them. The paper also demonstrates how inclusive research can be both powerful for those involved in it and conducive to broader social change.