Cowichan Independent Living, in conjunction with Independent Living Canada and the University of Manitoba are involved in a national Literacy Research Initiative.

Making a Connection-Literacy, Disability & Quality of Life: Participatory Action Research Approach, is a three-year project to identify the relationship between literacy skills and the impact on the quality of life for persons with disabilities. The Participatory Action Research model involves people with disabilities in developing research questions, creating and collecting information, implementing the project and sharing results.

Cowichan Independent Living will work with various national and community groups to include representation from literacy providers, researchers, and, most importantly, people with disabilities. Brock University will provide the lead researcher on this exciting project.

The project will involve five Independent Living Resource Centre pilot sites from across Canada. They will, in turn, partner with literacy organizations in their community. This team will develop the framework for the design and delivery of the research. In the first year, 10-12 participants will be selected from the pilot sites and will work closely with an ILRC staff facilitator in the collection and analysis of information.

Over the course of the project, each of the participants will be sharing their experiences, including their challenges and successes. Ultimately, the research will result in how developing literacy skills can impact the quality of life for Canadians with disabilities. At the end of the project, the participant stories and the combined findings of the research team, Independent Living Centres and literacy organizations will be captured in a resource guide that will be widely distributed to all disability groups across Canada.

Applying the Independent Living philosophy to all aspects of this project will ensure that people with disabilities and the Independent Living Centres are constantly guiding the research.

If you could benefit from improved literacy skills and would like to participate in this research project and would like more information on this, please contact:

Cathie Campion at (250) 746-3930.