Benefits and Challenges of Using Participatory Research Among Refugees With Disabilities: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Public Health
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Refugees, particularly those with disabilities (RWDs), face significant marginalization and mistrust towards institutions due to structural oppression.
• Participatory research (PR) offers a framework to engage underrecognized populations and address systemic barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review synthesizing studies on PR with RWDs.
• To identify the rationales, benefits, and drawbacks of using PR with RWDs.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search of peer-reviewed English articles using PR with RWDs.
• Utilized Arksey and O'Malley's framework for the scoping review.
• Included 13 studies out of 786 initially reviewed articles.

Main Results:

• Rationales for PR included building trust, collaboration, and understanding RWD priorities.
• Benefits encompassed culture-specific insights, participant voice centering, rich data, capacity building, and actionable solutions.
• Challenges identified were research delays and funding barriers.

Conclusions:

• PR uniquely benefits RWDs in resettlement and host countries by fostering engagement and ownership.
• Providing accommodations is crucial for ensuring RWD participation.
• PR is a vital approach for amplifying RWD voices and addressing structural oppression.