Inclusion and respect in research with people with disability

People with disability deserve greater wellbeing, participation, belonging and safer relationships. The Disability Royal Commission and recent inquiries into the death and mistreatment of people with disability make our research important and urgent. Our researchers are striving to demonstrate how this can be possible.

Our researchers are focused on creating better communities by changing systems, policies, and practices to build social inclusion and challenge marginalisation.

Our emphasis is on community-led and community-focused work that builds on capacity and strength; but still recognises the very real levels of disadvantage faced by individual people and communities, and the way that systems and structures shape this experience. Co-design and co-production are fundamental to our approach, ensuring people with disability drive research design, implementation and sharing of outcomes.

Our Research

We take an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to research across multiple domains important to people with disability, including

Quality in formal services and supports
Preventing and responding to violence and abuse
Improving the quality of education and learning
Understanding and generating social and emotional wellbeing

Read more about our disability and social inclusion research

Our leading researchers in this field

Professor Sally Robinson

Sally is an expert in inclusive disability research, personal safety and relational ethics, and quality in support for people with disability. Her research is co-produced with disabled people, working together as colleagues to develop and share knowledge on subjects important in people’s lives.

Professor Joanne Arciuli

Jo Arciuli is an expert in language and literacy for children with disability. She publishes widely and has strong international links across Europe, the US and Asia. Jo is working to boost internationalisation activities and implement research co-design practices.

Associate Professor Belinda Lange

Belinda is a pioneer of game-based virtual rehabilitation. She has extensive experience in the co-design, development and evaluation of digital health technologies in clinical and community settings across military and civilian populations.

CFI Researchers in this field

Dr June Alexander

Associate Professor Michelle Bellon

Associate Professor Ruth Walker

Felicity Crowther

Donna Hedstrom

Sofia Paku

Vemel Ramasamy

Masters by Research Students

Agnieszka Chudecka

Kathryn Dawes

Bruce Meatheringham

Partner with us

We can’t reinvent care alone. We need partners across industry, government, and the general public to co-design the projects and new support mechanisms. Let’s work together to understand the building blocks of care in our society.

We can make a difference together.
Be the change.

Collaborate with us