Interconnection, Participation and Belonging among Learning Disability Communities

在英国，有学习障碍的人(以下简称PWLD)是一个被边缘化的群体。这一博士学位将侧重于学习障碍网络中的社会关系，这已被确定为一个特别需要进一步研究的领域(Power，Hall等人)。2021年)。我的论文将通过突出他们在共同创建社区中的积极作用来探讨PWLD经历的排斥/包容。政府关于纳入残疾人就业能力和独立生活的政策被批评为试图通过基于就业能力和独立生活等硬结果的预期来实现人的“正常化”(卡梅伦2005年；霍尔2010年；库欣2015年)。尽管有包容政策，许多残障人士仍生活在一个“平行世界”，靠近但不共享非残疾人社区(Desjardins，2000)。在英国，有一系列学习障碍社区由以下机构创建：培训和日间中心、共享生活、自我倡导团体、友谊和支持团体。在当地，成员在这些社区之间流动。我的研究将满足对包容性的广泛、具体和响应性概念的要求。帕梅拉·库欣认为，有必要让政策和研究更“尊重残障人士的多样化需求和偏好”(2015：83)。因此，这项研究将通过探索PWLD自身如何制定、体验和构思“有意义的包容”(Oliver And Barnes 2010)，为该领域提供原创性的贡献。在这项研究中，成员将被视为社区实践者，他们的网络将被视为他们实践和相关价值观的产物。我将追踪英国正式和非正式的学习障碍网络。将采取定性的、多方法的方法，包括民族志、讲习班和访谈。这项研究将旨在回应从轻微到严重学习障碍的人的交流需求。将密切关注残疾人士如何穿越和共同创建他们的社区。本论文将主要考虑这些学习障碍网络是由其社区成员独特而交叉的参与和归属感模式在多大程度上以及如何产生的。该项目的一个思考性因素将促使PWLD想知道他们的社区可能会变成什么样子，以及更广泛的社会如何采用他们的做法的各个方面。这篇论文将对学习障碍社会研究领域做出贡献，潜在地影响学习障碍社区、社会部门实践和政府政策。特别是，它将有助于：a)了解学习障碍网络；b)将残疾人士作为社区从业者的中心；c)了解残疾人士如何颁布、体验和构思“有意义的融入”；以及d)与轻度至深度学习障碍的人进行参与性研究。

People with learning disabilities (hereafter PWLD) are a marginalised group in the UK. This PhD will focus on social relations within learning disability networks, which has been identified as an area in particular need of further study (Power, Hall et al. 2021). My thesis will engage with the exclusion/inclusion experienced by PWLD, by foregrounding their active roles in co-creating their communities. Government policy on the inclusion of PWLD has been criticised as an attempt to 'normalise' people, through expectations based on hard outcomes, such as employability and independent living (Cameron 2005; Hall 2010; Cushing 2015). Despite inclusion policies, many PWLD live in a 'parallel world', in proximity to but not sharing the communities of non-disabled people (Desjardins 2000). In the UK, there are a range of learning disability communities created by: training and day centres, shared living, self-advocacy groups, friendship and support groups. In local areas, members move between these communities. My research will fulfil the imperative for expansive, particular and responsive conceptions of inclusion. Pamela Cushing argues there is need for policy and research that is more 'respectful of [PWLD's] diverse needs and preferences' (2015: 83). As such, the research will provide an original contribution to the field through exploration of how PWLD themselves enact, experience and conceive 'meaningful inclusion' (Oliver and Barnes 2010). In the study members will be viewed as community practitioners - and their networks as a product of their practices and associated values. I will trace formal and informal learning disability networks in the UK. There will be a qualitative, multimethod approach, involving ethnography, workshops and interviews. The research will be designed to respond to the communication needs of people with minor through to profound learning disabilities. Close attention will be paid to ways in which PWLD traverse and co-create their communities. The thesis will primarily consider to what extent and how these learning disability networks are produced by their community members' particular yet intersecting modes of participation and belonging. A speculative element of the project will invite PWLD to wonder what their communities could become and how broader society could adopt aspects of their practice.The thesis will contribute to the field of learning disability social research, with the potential of influencing learning disability communities, social sector practice and government policy. In particular, it will contribute to: a) understanding learning disability networks; b) the centring of PWLD as community practitioners; c) understanding how PWLD enact, experience and conceive 'meaningful inclusion' and d) conducting participatory research with people with minor through to profound learning disabilities.