Developing Inclusive Pedagogy with Students with Intellectual Disabilities as Co-Researchers

Ratification of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) [1] in 1989 initiated academic interest and commitment to advancing advocacy and support for children, their rights, their voice and their participation in all decisions which affect them [2]. As a result, children’s policy developments in national and international contexts now insist that the inclusion of the voices of children and young people are necessary to ensure their lives are better understood and their rights upheld. Yet the perspectives of children, and in particular of children with disabilities are rarely consulted and children with disabilities largely remain invisible [3]. Undeniably, children’s participation in research, particularly children with disabilities can pose methodological and ethical challenges [4]. However, researchers have a duty to include children with disabilities as it is both their right and because findings can potentially be different when they are included [5]. This paper presents an overview of a participatory research methodology which uses photovoice as the main method of data collection. This study seeks to explore the perceptions and experiences of students with intellectual disabilities in mainstream post-primary schools in Ireland. Employing photovoice, repositions students with intellectual disabilities as co-researchers. Photovoice supports students to document their lived experiences using photography. It’s use operationalises Lundy’s Model of Participation [6], which serves as the theoretical and methodological framework for this study, by providing space, voice, audience and influence which are necessary for children as right bearing citizens to express their views and have their voices heard.