Congratulations to faculty member Dr. Laura Pacheco who has been awarded a grant of over $500,000 from Accessibility Standards Canada for “Promoting Family Inclusive Disability Standards through the Experiences of Parents and Caregivers with Disabilities,” a research project involving a team of community and university research partners.

Families headed by parents with disabilities are often excluded from both their communities and policies that affect their lives. This community-based study will explore the lived experiences of parents and caregivers with diverse disabilities and their children to uncover the barriers and facilitators they face in family life and how they navigate federally regulated spaces in Canada. Qualitative interviews and adapted photovoice methodologies will be used to identify the barriers and solutions in family-oriented accessibility.

The co-researchers involved in this project include Dr. Laura Pacheco (PI), Memorial University, Dr. Majorie Aunos (co-PI), University of Alberta and Brock University, Dr. Coralie Mercerat, TELUQ and Université de Montréal, and Dr. Evelina Pituch, University of Toronto. The Canadian Council of Disabilities is a national partner and provincial community partners are located in Atlantic Canada (Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Newfoundland and Labrador Network, Spinal Cord Injury Association NL, and the Issak Walton Killiam (IWK) Health Center, Halifax, NS); Quebec (Ex aequo and MEMO-Québec); Ontario (Centre for Independent Living (CILT) Toronto); and Alberta (Connections).

Congratulations to Dr. Pacheco and to all the researchers and community partners involved in this exciting new project!