The iSchool has a history of being an inclusive environment. At all times we strive, even if research is not about disability, to be the most respectful and inclusive as possible.

If you’re thinking about doing disability research or involving people with disabilities, start first by asking yourself, “Is this a project that is motivated by a real need in a disability community?” One of the most common mistakes is assuming folks with disabilities need certain accessibility – “I have an idea that will help disability group x.”

You want to target actuals problems that need to be solved. Don’t assume that your idea may be better. If you are working with a disability population or thinking/planning about working with a disability minority population, be sure that you are doing research that actually meets a need or solves a problem. Something might already be solved or is not a problem!

Start by:

• • Reaching out to Disability Rights groups, for example:
    • National Federation of the Blind
    • National Association of the Deaf
  • Learning the terminology for the groups
    • The easiest way to make yourself persona non grata is to use the wrong terminology
    • Find out what is respectful vs what is not
    • Be respectful collaborators with disability rights groups

• Advice on Referring to People with Disabilities in Research

• Chapter 16: Working with Research Participants with Disabilities

  • Lazar, J., Feng, J. H., & Hochheiser, H. (2017). Research methods in human-computer interaction (Second). Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, an imprint of Elsevier. – Free E-Book format (2nd edition) – available online at the UMD library