Building research capacity among people with disabilities

Issue title: The Role of Consumers in R & D

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Cooper, Rory A.^{; *}

Affiliations: Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, Human Engineering Research Laboratories (151-R1), 7180 Highland Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15206, USA

Correspondence: [*] Tel.: + 1 412 3654850; fax: + 1 412 3654858; e-mail: rcooper@pitt.edu.

Abstract: The full inclusion of people with disabilities in rehabilitation science and disabilities studies is necessary for growth and long-term success. Full inclusion of people with disabilities can only be accomplished through building research capacity and changing rehabilitation research paradigms. There must also be a national effort to build a rehabilitation research infrastructure with short- and long-range programs to recruit and train scientists with disabilities. The building of research capacity requires the cooperation and collaboration of federal agencies, national laboratories, universities, and advocacy organizations. Research capacity and research quality must be increased to achieve the goals expected by people with disabilities.

Keywords: Research, Rehabilitation science, Disability studies, Science

DOI: 10.3233/TAD-1998-9303

Journal: Technology and Disability, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 97-101, 1998