Inclusive research. Potential and limitations in the context of previous experiences

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of selected issues related to inclusive research involving people with intellectual disabilities. This research, with a relatively long tradition in some countries, may provide opportunities for taking on socially valued roles, such as the role of a co-researcher, and also serve to address problems that are important for the broadly understood quality of life and integration of people with intellectual disabilities. In many cases, inclusion projects were undertaken together with self-advocate organizations, with people with intellectual disabilities fulfilling multiple roles and tasks essential for the implementation of the research process. The accumulated experience provokes discussions on the status of such research, its individual and social significance, as well as its methodological and theoretical foundations in literature. The article refers to these discussions by analyzing the identified issues based on selected inclusive projects.