Examining participatory action research involving women with disabilities: partnership, perspective and power

Abstract

Being a primary investigator in a participatory action research was the highlight of my graduate studies. The research involved women with disabilities, an academic, a community leader of a local disability organization and me, a woman with disabilities and a graduate student in Women's Studies. The research examined issues of employment and of knowledge of adaptive technology by women with disabilities. Adaptive technology is whatever hardware, software, or environmental adaptations a person needs to enable gain computer access. As a secondary analysis this thesis takes the form of a case study that reflects back on the primary participatory action research initiative through critical discourse analysis. Feminist case study enables examination of social phenomena through an individual case rather than as a comparative analysis. Throughout the case study it becomes apparent issues of difference and representation arose that challenged varying historically constituted knowledges and practices located within both the disability organization and the university. This study answered the research question how do issues of difference and representation influence participatory action research process. Data for this qualitative study involves portions of the ethical submission, personal correspondence, emails, journal entries written during the primary research and three sections of university policy. Each source of data through critical discourse analysis illustrates the impact of difference of perspective and issues of power within partnership.