Participatory Research and Education Among European Social Innovation Recommendations

2023.10.16.

Exactly six years ago, colleagues at our faculty won the Higher Education International Development Award at the ceremony of the Tempus Public Foundation for the "Together We Teach!" - Inclusive Educational Methods in Higher Education project. The inclusive methodology and its impact are discussed in the recently published work by a team of researchers appointed by the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD).

The concept of social innovation in the field of disabilities was introduced in a study by the EASPD. The research sought answers to how the public sector can engage in these social innovations and what drives these developments.

Based on the results, besides the legal and financial environment, network collaborations, and mindset-changing initiatives, the participation of people with disabilities proved to be a crucial driving force.

Participatory research and education, as well as activities that amplify the voices of participants and empower them, also hold innovation potential for communities. Among the recommendations of the research, there is an emerging pioneering practice that supports the social inclusion of people with disabilities by making education more diverse. The "Together We Teach!" participatory higher education methodology developed at our faculty, listed in the University's Know-how list, is one such practice that applies the principle of "Nothing about us without us!" in the academic field.