Understanding belonging for people with profound intellectual disabilities

我将研究具有深度和多重学习障碍的人的身份和归属感之间的关系。与一群有严重和多重学习障碍的人一起工作，我将探索创造性的活动，让他们和其他人有自己的认同感，并监测这对他们在家庭、班级和更广泛的社区中的归属感的影响。我将与一位患有严重和多重学习障碍的朋友密切合作，在她从童年过渡到成年的过程中，对她的身份进行细致的民族志研究。我们将一起创造性地探索我们的身份，并衡量这对我们在社会群体中的归属感的影响。归属感对任何一个人的幸福都是必不可少的。我相信，强烈的认同感对一个人融入一个群体起到了促进作用，从而使他们有机会感到自己属于一个群体。患有严重和多重学习障碍的人往往被定义为他们的残疾，以至于他们的残疾成为他们对他人的认同。通过寻找创造性的方法来发现和宣布患有严重和多重学习障碍的人的身份，我相信我的工作将：在我们如何倡导患有严重和多重学习障碍的人方面创造变化；改善重度和多重学习障碍患者的福祉；加强有严重和多重学习障碍的人在社会中的包容和归属感。

I will study the relationship between identity and belonging for people with profound and multiplelearning disabilities. Working with a group of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities I willexplore creative activities that bring them, and others, to a sense of their own identity and monitor theeffect this has on their belonging, in their family, in their class, and in the wider community.Working closely with a friend who has profound and multiple learning disabilities I will undertake a closesensory ethnographic study of her identity as she transitions from childhood into adulthood. Together wewill creatively explore our identities and gauge the impact this has on our belonging in social groups.Feeling a sense of belonging is essential for the wellbeing of any human being. I believe that a strongsense of identity plays a faciliatory role in a person's inclusion in a group, thereby giving them access tothe chance to feel that they belong.People with profound and multiple learning disabilities are all too often defined by their disabilities, tosuch an extent that their disabilities become their identity to others. By finding creative ways to discoverand declare identity for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities I believe my work will:create change in how we advocate for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities; improvethe wellbeing of the people with profound and multiple learning disabilities; and enhance inclusion andbelonging within society for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.