‘The Ball of Cooperation Rolls on’: Some Personal Reflections on My Experiences as a Researcher

Abstract

People with disabilities are increasingly actively involved within research projects. For many of them this is a temporary role, but some work on longer-term projects and even build a career out of it. This is the case for the first author of this paper. He has worked as a researcher for almost six years. He is involved in various projects, all highly diverse in terms of subject, design, scope and collaboration with fellow researchers. In this paper, he looks back on his experiences in recent years. Together with colleagues, he reflects on his contribution to the various projects, his own development as a researcher and the impact of the work on his personal life. He finds that the essence of the motto ‘Nothing about us, without us’ has become increasingly intertwined with his life and identity through his work.

Keywords

• inclusive research
• participatory research
• intellectual disabilities
• collaboration
• lived experience