Citizens in Research
The Hopkins Centre has a vision of the future in which dignity is a driving principle for all interactions that involve people with disabilities, including research. Through partnerships between people with disabilities, researchers, policy-makers, practitioners and community, we are focused on exploring bold ideas and better solutions for the future.
We welcome people with disability, service-users, carers, support networks and people with lived rehabilitation experience to be part of meaningful research and really making a difference in influencing the future.
We are focused on the importance of embedding people with disabilities and lived experiences into the fabric of research and practice within hospital, community service and broader community contexts. Currently we are working to ensure all of our research projects include people with disability engaged in the design or implementation of the project.
Ambassador Council
Our Ambassador Council leads the way in ensuring research is conducted in line with the needs of those who use disability and rehabilitation services, and addresses topics of relevance and importance to the community. Reinforcing the Centre’s vision, the Council promotes and enhance engagement with people with disabilities and assist to raise awareness of the importance of people with a disability participating in research and design of services or interventions. Through the Council, we work together to promote the importance of dignity and respect to build an accepting and supportive community for all.
Read more about our ambassador council.
Partnering with Consumers in Research
If you would like to learn foundational skills to support your journey as a Citizen in Research, you may like to access the ‘Partnering with consumers in research’ module. This is a no cost learning resource that explores research, the research process, and the opportunities for consumer involvement.
Read more about the ‘Partnering with consumers in research’ learning module
The Dignity Project
One of our key citizen-science initiatives, The Dignity Project, addresses the right of all citizens to have access to their environment and be treated with respect at all times. Using creativity, collaboration and citizen-led research, the project aims to drive disability reform by disrupting stereotypes, sharing experiences, addressing challenges, promote respect at all human interfaces and learning from history to create a better future. This project will reinterpret and analyse collective experiences, enabling co-design of services, practices and design innovations for the future.
Read more about this project here.
HabITec
HabITec aims to ethically expedite the process of applying technology to rehabilitation and independent living by creating a sociotechnical space where consumers, practitioners, funder, developers and researchers can work together to develop and test rehabilitation tools and technologies. HabITec will improve access to consumer-centric technological solutions. The physical HabiTec Lab has been developed in partnership with Occupational Therapy and The Division of Rehabilitation, Metro South Health and is located at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Read more about this project here.
To get involved or learn more about our citizen science initiatives, please email us at hopkinscentre@griffith.edu.au.
