Exploring My Life Path by Asking 600 People What They Love about Theirs

Abstract

A young man with Down syndrome and an early adopter of self-managed supports wanted to have a great life, but he needed to be sure what a great life was for him. He decided to ask successful people, “What do you love about your life?”, which he felt was a question that gets right to the heart of the matter. In this paper the young man and his father will outline their journey as co-researchers in collecting/filming 600 stories across ten countries, with some interviews prearranged but many occurring spontaneously at music, film, and arts festivals. The initial findings of “what people loved about their lives” fall into the following categories: Family, Work, Home, Travel, Health, Pets, and Life Itself. Positive side effects for the young man covered: self-confidence, ability to connect with people, opportunities, working relationships, and ongoing friendship. The implications of taking a social journalism approach to collecting stories will be discussed in line with the question “What makes for good inclusive research”? The journey of the co-researchers speaks to the outcome that it is worthwhile to research your life path, accessing elders’ wisdom. The tools of inclusive research are powerful when applied to a citizen’s life questions. Each person values their life in unique ways, yet there are many commonalities.

Keywords

• down syndrome
• qualitative research
• quality of life
• self-advocacy
• happiness