Creating a better future for communities through research

Building Disability Community Organizations' Research and Knowledge Capacity

From 2006 to the Spring of 2007 the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL) and the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) co-sponsored a review about how to access and share knowledge that will help change policies affecting people with disabilities.

A Task Force including the Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres, the Neil Squire Society, People First of Canada, and community and university researchers worked on this review. The Task Force was chaired by Dr. Michael Prince, of the University of Victoria.

The project was been made possible through the support of disability community organizations and Task Force members. The Task Force gratefully acknowledges the financial contribution of Human Resources and Social Development Canada.

The final report and executive summary documenting the findings of the review can be downloaded at the links below.

Download executive summary

Download final report

The Issue

Disability community organizations, governments, and many sectors in society agree that public and private sector policies are needed to advance the full citizenship, inclusion, and human rights of people with disabilities. However, disability organizations do not have the resource capacity to carry out the research and share the knowledge that can lead to policy changes.

Research dollars tend to go to university researchers and not to disability community organizations. Some of the community research institutes that have carried out disability-related research in the past are having financial difficulty. There are new opportunities for disability community organizations to participate with governments and others in policy change. Yet most disability community organizations are not in a position to take advantage of these opportunities.

The Review

The review was conducted January to December 2006. The Centre for Community Based Research (formerly the Centre for Research and Education in Human Services) conducted the research with guidance from the Task Force. Disability organizations, university and community researchers, federal and provincial government officials, and other partners were consulted to find out what is currently happening and what needs to happen in terms of policy research and knowledge sharing. Findings and implications were considered by the Task Force during several national meetings and a final report was submitted in the Spring of 2007. The report includes several options for building greater capacity among disability community organizations for policy research and knowledge mobilization. At the close of the project, the Task Force agreed in principle to pass the recommendations forward to representatives of five national disability organizations for consideration and action (CCD, CACL, CAILC, People First of Canada, and the Neil Squire Society).

Task Force Structure

Chair:
Michael Prince, University of Victoria

Disability Community Organizations:
Council of Canadians with Disabilities
Canadian Association for Community Living
Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres
Neil Squire Foundation
People First of Canada

Academic/Research Community:
Cam Crawford, The Roeher Institute
Olga Krassroukova-Enns, Canadian Centre for Disability Studies
Suzanne Pinard, Association Du Québec Pour L'intégration Sociale
Judith Sandys, Ryerson University
Katherine Scott, Canadian Council on Social Development
Tim Stainton, University of British Columbia
Deborah Stienstra, University of Manitoba
Vianne Timmins, University of PEI

Task Force Facilitation and Research:
Centre for Research and Education in Human Services
Jason Newberry, Senior Researcher
Joanna Ochocka, Executive Director
Julie Wise, Centre Researcher

Terms of Reference

To access the Terms of Reference for the project, dowload here.

Project Overview

The following describes the stages of the research project and design. Details can be found in the final report.

Stage 1 - Background review of knowledge management needs

  • Creation of a background paper outlining current and past practices of disability-related policy research and knowledge mobilization, as well as a brief review of the broader literature. (download background paper)

Stage 2 - Key Informant Interviews

  • Interviews with selected sample of individuals across Canada who have long-standing experience in conducting disability related policy research; current activity in the field; and experience in disability related issues at multiple levels (local, provincial/territorial, national)

19 interviews, sampling individuals each from the following groups:

  • Community-based researchers
  • University affiliated researchers/academics
  • Disability advocates
  • Government representatives

Stage 3 - Web-based survey

  • Survey of community organizations, community researchers, academics, advocates, and government representatives across Canada regarding disbability related knowledge needs, uses, access, as well as gaps and barriers to doing and sharing research.

Stage 4 - Regional consultations

  • Regional consultations were conducted in Fredericton, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver.
  • Participants in each session included a cross-section of representatives from the disability research community, university-affiliated researchers, and government.

Stage 5 - Development of a recommended option

  • Information from prior stages was reviewed and synthesized to develop a set of options for national models of research and knowledge mobilization for disability community organizations.
  • Recommended options were reviewed in collaboration with the Task Force

For more information, contact Dr. Jason Newberry at jason@communitybasedresearch.ca