Ability expectations in collaborative research: Ethical reflections from three empirical studies with disability communities

This study critically explores ability expectations in collaborative research with disability communities to highlight ethical consequences and outline an ableism-critical research practice. Ability expectations in research are shaped by an ableist academia that often excludes and/or objectifies marginalized communities most affected by the research in question. Collaborative research based on the understanding that research should be conducted with a community, in contrast, actively seeks social change. In disability research, collaborative approaches have their roots in the disability movement and, while relatively established, also hold the risk of tokenism, reinforcing power asymmetries and oppression. Three qualitative collaborative research projects connected to the field of Disability Studies were conducted in an Austrian context. Each study had a specific focus (de-institutionalization, parenting and ableism) and respective methodology, including the mode and degree of collaboration with community-based research partners. Findings from the ethical reflection of ability expectations in the three research projects are presented clustered around the three following questions: (1) Who is able to make a meaningful contribution based on which resources? (2) Who is able to make decisions regarding research topic and process? (3) Who is able to determine social change and how? The ethical consequences of asking these questions for an ableism-critical research practice in collaborative research include modes of compensation that minimize the reproduction of epistemic dis/ability hierarchies, dis/ability sensitive power sharing in the research process and community-oriented dissemination accessible to an audience with a variety of dis/abilities. Ableism-critical collaborative research becomes possible precisely because we can draw from the concept of ableism for ethically reflecting practices of collaboration. Academic researchers must be able to endure uncertainty and sometimes unresolvable negotiations as well as learn from criticism by community-based research partners whilst avoiding possibly debilitating effects of the ability-expectations posed by academia and communities outside of academia.