Disability-led Research

This website shares research projects from the Centre for Disability Research and Policy (CDRP)‍ ‍at the University of Sydney. People with disability lead and co-design all of this work.

We believe authentic lived expertise should drive:

  • research and public policy

  • organisational change

  • the well-being of people with disability.

Explore the projects below to find peer-reviewed articles, Plain English and Easy Read summaries, and other helpful resources.

Projects

Here is a selection of current research projects from our lived-experience researchers at the CDRP:

Three people engaging in a discussion in a bright conference room with large windows, including a woman with gray hair and glasses holding a notebook, a man in a pink shirt with glasses, and a young man with dark hair and a blue shirt, all seated around a table.

Lived Expertise

Andrew Radford and Carol Berry Professional Photo

Inclusive Governance

Shane Clifton in a wheelchair enjoying a drink before a beach
Shane Clifton speaking to a class

Lived Experience Teaching

Disability & The Good Life

Conversation: From Experience to Expertise

A conversation between Shane Clifton and Nicky Sloan (CEO, Community Industry Group) exploring the expert contributions of people with disability. Key themes discussed include:

  • Defining Lived Expertise: Why the knowledge gained through navigating disability should be valued equally to formal professional qualifications.

  • Challenging Tokenism: The importance of moving beyond simply "hearing stories" to actively embedding lived expertise in governance and co-design.

  • The Social Model of Disability: Shifting the focus from individual impairments to dismantling inaccessible societal structures.

  • The Power of Peer Support: Acknowledging the profound impact and often unrecognised expertise of of peer support workers.