the chair
Social Sciences Webinar
Themes of Inclusive Research: Is the Road More or Less Well Travelled Edition 2 Session 2
Two Special Issues of Social Sciences, an open access Journal by MDPI on "Inclusive Research is the Road More or Less Well Travelled?" were respectively publishing in 2023 and 2026. In both issues people with intellectual disabilities reported "no longer having research done to them" but "being part of its doing". This webinar will focus on the five common categories of the second issue where its 16 articles divide into 5 categories: epistemic injustice in ignoring the knowledge of people with intellectual disabilities; bridging the gap in countries that have lagged behind in using inclusive research, the relational power of collaboration and co-design; innovative inclusive resources and methodologies; and expanding the inclusive research journey.
Inclusive researchers from three different countries at three different times will present on the key message of the articles co-authored with people with intellectual disabilities.
Date: 11 November 2026
Time: 02:00 (CET)
Webinar ID: 844 8282 5569
Webinar Secretariat: socsci@mdpi.com
Meet Our Chair
University of Sydney, Australia;Patricia O’Brien was Director of the Centre for Disability Studies, affiliated with the University of Sydney from 2009 to 2020. Prior to this role, Patricia held academic appointments at Trinity College Dublin as Director of the National Institute for Intellectual Disability and at the University of Auckland as the Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Research. Patricia’s research interests and publications cover individual supported living, housing, advocacy, quality of life, inclusive education and service design. She is known for leading inclusive research initiatives in which people with intellectual disabilities are involved as co-researchers. Her work has also led to the development and mentoring of two major inclusive research networks (IRN), first across the Republic of Ireland, and later in Sydney, Australia. Patricia is a Fellow of the Australasian Society of Intellectual Disability, FASID, and is a Member of the Order of Australia, AM.
Inclusive Research: Is the Road More or Less Well Travelled? - 2nd Edition
Edited by Prof. Dr. Patricia O’Brien
Meet Our Speakers
NSW Council for Intellectual Disability (CID), Australia;Sarah Butler is an active member of the NSW Council for Intellectual Disability (CID) Advocacy Group. She contributes directly to official government campaigns, policy recommendations, and letters to government ministers promoting accessible information (like Easy Read formats) and improved community access. Sarah frequently presents at national and international conferences, sharing her lived experiences with autism and epilepsy to educate medical, neurological and community sectors. Sarah has also been involved in contributing to inclusive research projects about education, housing, health and the UNCRPD.
University of Flinders, Australia;Irene Belperio is a highly experienced qualitative researcher with interests in ageing and disability and ageing in culturally and linguistically diverse communities. She also has extensive experience in learning support and has been teaching at the university level for over 13 years. She is an editorial board member of the Journal of Nursing Practices and Research.
Mr. Ben Jarrett
University of Flinders, Australia;Ben Jarrett is a community researcher at Flinders University. He is interested in people with intellectual disability moving out of the family home and the place of sport and recreation in health and well-being. He has diverse experience presenting at conferences, creating user-friendly online resources, facilitating co-design workshops and undertaking inclusive data analysis. He is an avid sportsperson, playing football and basketball, and being part of the Special Olympics. He is a passionate basketball coach.
Mr. Jack Kelly
University of Technology Sydney, Australia;Jack Kelly is an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Built Environment at UTS. Jack is working on a range of projects about design, inclusion and remembering disability institutions. In addition to his UTS role, Jack currently holds a position at the Council for Intellectual Disability (CID) as a project worker, where he has worked on various projects such as Mainstream and Me and My Health Matters. Jack is a co-facilitator of information sessions and a developer and tester of Easy Read documents, and is currently working on the Better Health Outcomes project at CID.
University of Technology Sydney, Australia;Linda Steele is a Professor at UTS Law Faculty. She is a socio-legal researcher working at the intersections of disability, law and social justice. She was previously a solicitor with the Intellectual Disability Rights Service.
University of Technology Sydney, Australia;Phillippa Carnemolla is a Professor in the School of Architecture and Built Environment within the Faculty of Design and Society. She is passionate about research that investigates the influence of our built environments on people's independence, autonomy and how care is provided and received. She focuses on promoting community-led research and innovation in housing, workplaces, residential aged care, specialist disability accommodation and inclusive cities across aged care and disability support contexts
Social Sciences Webinar | Themes of Inclusive Research: Is the Road More or Less Well Travelled Edition 2 Session 2