What is the Community Research Program?

The Persons with Developmental Disabilities Program encourages research into questions that are important to people with developmental disabilities, their families, and support networks.

The PDD Program, through the Community Research Program, funds research and research-related projects that promote the full inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in community life. It encourages people with developmental disabilities to be involved throughout the research process.

Research results will help to develop approaches and practices that better assist people with developmental disabilities to live more inclusive lives.

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A little bit of History…

In 2001, a granting program was established in support of community-based research that promotes community inclusion for people with developmental disabilities. The primary aim was to enable people with developmental disabilities, their families, and support networks to participate in research and research related projects, along with others who are interested in research. In the first year, research projects included things such as learning how to tell the stories of people with developmental disabilities who cannot talk and a video that voices things that are important to self-advocates.

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What is Community Inclusion for individuals with developmental disabilities?

Community inclusion means individuals with developmental disabilities living and participating in communities as full citizens. It means that individuals with disabilities have choice and control in the activities of their daily lives, and the opportunity to participate with other citizens in ordinary life activities such as working, socializing, and conducting daily affairs.

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Who is a Self-Advocate?

A Self-Advocate is an individual with a developmental disability who is a leader or teacher in his or her community. These individuals voice the views of individuals with developmental disabilities and empower other individuals with developmental disabilities to take leadership roles. Many self-advocates in the Province of Alberta have taken training through Leadership Today.

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What Kind of Projects Does the Community Research Program Fund?

The PDD Program provides financial support and mentoring for projects that…

• support the Vision, Mission , and Values of PDD
  and the Principles and Values of the Community Research Program.
• address the questions that are important to people with
  developmental disabilities and their support networks.
• involve people with developmental disabilities in most
  or all stages of the research process are encouraged.

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What We Mean by Research and Research-Related Projects?

Researchers are people who ask questions and try to answer them. They can do either formal research or practical research-related projects.

Formal research is more structured than a project and might include experiments and use statistics to help answer the question. An example of formal research could include a survey of self-advocates to see how they are involved in their communities. These results could then be shared in a report.

A research-related project might be more practical in approach. An example could include talking to different people about leadership and how to train people with developmental disabilities to be leaders and then developing a training package about leadership for advocates.

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