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The European Research Agendas for Disability Equality (EuRADE) project seeks to increase and enhance the input and full participation of European disabled people’s organisations in future research initiatives that will improve the lives of disabled people. This project is led by the European Disability Forum (EDF) in partnership with the University of Leeds (United Kingdom) and Maastricht University (The Netherlands).
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The European Community funds a large amount of research through its Framework Research Programmes. The research which is funded covers many different fields, ranging from nano-technology and space exploration, to approaches to good administration and governance. For the most part, universities receive the funding to carry out research, although industry is also frequently involved. With the exception of medical research and research in the area of IT and new technologies, the EC calls for research projects rarely mention disability or research relevant to people with disabilities. In the latest Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7), the EC has provided a very small amount of money to fund activities designed to involve representatives of civil society (NGOs) in research. The current project has been funded by this call.
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EuRADE will work towards enabling EDF and its members to achieve the following core goals:
- Identify and articulate the research priorities of European disabled people’s civil society organisations. These priorities should help to set the agenda for future research on disability equality and non-discrimination in Europe.
- Gain knowledge and skills about the existing research methods and approaches used by researchers in these fields of study.
- Identify opportunities for larger scale collaboration with European research partners and active participation in priority areas.
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The goals will be achieved by engaging civil society representatives in activities involving:
A. Consultation
A consultation was conducted with disabled people’s organisations representing various specific impairment groups, sectors of interest and countries across Europe. The purpose was to gather information about disabled people’s organisations’ experience of research, and identify their priorities for and interest in participating in future research in favour of disability equality and non-discrimination.
The consultation process was undertaken through a questionnaire which could be filled in online or submitted via email. Responses were collected from May-July 2008. The information gathered will be analysed and formulated into a consultation report which will be made publicly available, including through this homepage.
B. Knowledge development
Among key activities undertaken within this context was the organisation of a Research Summer School which brought together representatives of disabled people and researchers from European countries. The Research Summer School introduced participants to the work of European researchers working in the field of disability, to the different research methods and approaches that inform this work, and to different models of civil society involvement in research. The event also created the opportunity for disabled peoples’ organisations to develop and articulate their own ideas for future research. The Research Summer School took place in Leeds, from 21-25 July 2008. More information about the Summer School, including all the material distributed at the Summer School, is available via the link at the top of this page.
There will be also the possibility for members of involved organisations of disabled people to participate in an online training for which academic credits (ECTs) may be given.
Furthermore the project includes the possibility for representatives of organisations of disabled people to attend research conferences as observers.
C. Mapping research funding and collaboration opportunities
Following up on the research priorities identified by EDF members in the fields of disability equality and non-discrimination, research possibilities and partnerships which fall within the scope of FP7 and other relevant programmes will be identified. Contacts with relevant European research platforms and researchers will be established, with a view to developing collaborations between organisations of disabled people and researchers that can lead to the drafting of proposals for future research.
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Involvement of EDF member organisations through commitment of individuals will be essential for the success of the project as well as to the possibility for future research collaborations.
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The powerpoint contains an outline of the EuRADE project, and accompanied the lecture given by Prof. Lisa Waddington at the European Disability Forum Annual General Assembly in Ljubljana, Slovenia on 25 May 2008, when the EuRADE project was presented to members of EDF.
EuRADE Powerpoint
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