Category: Participatory Research

Don’t Miss Us in DC!

Great news! We are excited to tell you about our upcoming talk at the NACDD Annual Conference in Washington, DC. We have been working hard on our Participatory Action Research project, and it has been a big success!

Cynthia Burrow and James Meadours will speak about hiring people with IDD to work on projects about their lives. We will also share free tools for people who come to our session.

Our session is called, “Empowering Self-Advocates to Lead.” It will take place on Wednesday, July 24, at 2:30 PM at the Capital Hilton. Learn more here.

#ParticipatoryActionResearch #Neurodiversity #IDD

Free Gifts from Our Time at SXSW EDU!

James and Cindy shared thoughts and free tools at SXSW EDU. Their session was called “Participatory Research: Empowering Self-Advocates to Lead.” It took place Tuesday, March 5 at the Austin Convention Center.

James talked about the unique talents and lived experience of people with IDD. He shared how to help self-advocates work on projects about their lives. This benefits self-advocates and the people they work with.

Visit bit.ly/P-A-R to join our mailing list and download these free tools:

  • SXSW EDU 2024 Presentation
  • Know Your Worth! A Game About Getting Paid for Your Work
  • Self-Advocate Support Checklist

Don’t Miss Us at SXSW EDU!

James Meadours will present at SXSW EDU next week. His session is called “Participatory Research: Empowering Self-Advocates to Lead.” He will share strategies for supporting self-advocates as they work on projects. His story will inspire and entertain you!

The session takes place Tuesday, 3/5 from 4:30-5 PM. We will be in Ballroom G of the Austin Convention Center. Be sure to “favorite” our session in your schedule!

If you can’t make the session, you can still download the free resources here and on the “Our Resources” page.

#SeatAtTheTable #SXSWEDU2024 #Neurodiversity #IDD

Great News! We Are SXSW-Bound!

We have been hard at work on our Participatory Action Research project. And it has paid off in a big way! Our team will be represented at the 2024 SXSW EDU conference. James Meadours will speak about hiring people with IDD to work on projects about their lives. We will also share some free tools for people who come to our session.

Our session is called, “Participatory Research: Empowering Self-Advocates to Lead.” It will take place Tuesday, March 5, from 4:30-5:00 PM. It will happen at the Austin Convention Center. Learn more here.

#SeatAtTheTable #SXSWEDU2024 #Neurodiversity #IDD

Get Your Free Learning Game!

Picture of game cards

Our team created a game to help self-advocates learn about getting paid for their work. The game is called “Know Your Worth.” The game is fun, fast, and works for up to five players. It’s easy to learn and you can play it over and over.

Head over to the Our Resources page to download the game.

Share this message with your friends and colleagues. Tell them to sign up for our mailing list to get more free resources like this.

Success at the Texas Advocates Conference!

Team members taught self-advocates from across Texas about getting paid to work on projects. Over 25 people played a game we created called “Know Your Worth!” This fun and fast game teaches that people’s work is valuable. They should be paid for it. But it’s important to be careful if you get benefits like SSI and SSDI.

People with all abilities joined in. Some used their hands to slap card matches. Some used their voices to shout out key words. By the end, everyone was a winner and took home a prize. They also took home new knowledge about working on projects for pay.

People had so much fun, they asked for copies of the game. Stay tuned and tell your friends and colleagues to sign up for our mailing list. We will share it there for free in the next couple of months!

Connect with Us in Texas!

The Participatory Action Research Team is heading to Denton. We will be presenting at the Texas Advocates Conference Saturday, 7/29.

We will host a card tournament with lots of prizes. Players will also learn about working on projects for pay. They’ll learn:

  • People with IDD should work on projects about their lives.
  • Their lived experience has great value.
  • They should be paid for their work.
  • They can be careful about working while receiving benefits.

To learn more about the conference, check out the Texas Advocates website. Come by our exhibit table. Come to our presentation. Or catch us in between!

Meet the PAR Team!

PAR stands for Participatory Action Research. That just means that people with IDD should be part of projects about them. We have some amazing folks on our teams!

Over the next 3 years, we will:

  • Create a visual vocabulary list. It will use plain language and pictures. It will help researchers and people with IDD work together more easily.
  • Create free training for people with IDD. They will learn about getting paid to work on projects.
  • Create tools for researchers. These will include graphic organizers, support checklists, surveys, and more.
  • Connect people with IDD to projects. We want many self-advocates working on projects about their lives. We want organizations to hire them.

Join our mailing list by filling out the form on the right. You’ll get updates about our work.