2+Introduction

[[image:Joe_sorting_photos.JPG]]Participatory Action Research with College Students with Intellectual Disabilities
Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) are increasingly getting opportunities to attend college. This is possible not only due to strong advocacy, but also because federal and state funds are being made available to provide resources for these students. As is the case with most new initiatives, especially grant-funded projects, project staff who support college programs for students with ID are often required to collect data that can reveal the impact college is having on students' lives. This data is usually collected through surveys with questions that focus on descriptive information, such as what classes students are taking, if they are taking the classes for audit or credit, what campus resources they are using, and what supports they require to fully participate in college.

Less used but equally important are research methods that gather students' perceptions of their college experience from the students themselves. There are many reasons that research conducted with students with ID is less frequently implemented. Inclusive research takes time, and it can be challenging to identify research facilitators who can dedicate time and resources to work with student researchers.

In participatory action research (PAR), students with intellectual disabilities are not just research subjects. They are invited to become co-researchers. This leads to richer results and to an increased sense of contribution among students who take part in this work.

For researchers who are interested in facilitating research with individuals with ID, including those individuals who are attending college, this guide on participatory action research includes instructions, resources, and examples of PAR. We hope that these materials will help you to launch your own innovative participatory action research with student researchers.

Pull-out quote: Through this collaboration, you have the opportunity to establish a strong working partnership with students.

**Guiding principle for this guide:** This guide will help you to collaborate with students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) on research about their college experience. Through this collaboration, you have the opportunity to establish a strong working partnership with these students. You are not asking them to participate in //your// study. You are asking them to research college //with// you, to share the results, to take action, and to reflect on the work together.

**The Participatory Action Research Guide with Digital Media Tools includes:**
(1) Instructions on a seven-step process to facilitate PAR (2) Examples of research outcomes, as a result of PAR with students with ID (3) Links to a VoiceThread where college students with disabilities are sharing their thoughts about college (4) Access to a recorded webinar on PAR facilitation from three research facilitators using PAR (5) Resources to initiate and sustain PAR with students (6) References for additional information on PAR and inclusive research methods

(6) Work with students (the co-researchers) to share information
Pull out quote: Through this work, you will gain access to first-hand accounts of their college experience and its impact on their lives.

==== Facilitating PAR provides opportunities to collaborate with students with ID who are extending their education to college. Through this work, you will gain access to first-hand accounts of their college experience and its impact on their lives. ====

Shaded box: Figure 1: Participatory Action Research Poster presented at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities Annual Conference in 2010.