The CDPA is made up of three types of partners, each with a specific role to play in disability policy research.
1. Academic Partners
The academic partners use their research skill to:
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- Identify and frame research questions, in consultation with community partners
- Initiate a program of research
- Recommend the most appropriate research methodology for each project
- Undertake reviews of literature to ascertain the current state of knowledge on issues, and to determine whether further primary research is needed
- Conduct environmental scans to assess current best practices in the policy area
- Seek external funding as necessary to supplement resources on specific projects
- Conduct policy analysis to identify policy affecting issues of importance to people with disabilities
- Prepare policy briefs to assemble policy-relevant research
- Participate in knowledge mobilization activities
- Publish and present research findings as usual in traditional academic venues
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In addition to the research functions outlined above, the academic partners have responsibilities in training and scholarship:
- Classroom teaching regarding disability policy
- Supervision of graduate students working in the area of disability policy
- Contribute to skills development regarding research among the partners
- Employment and supervision of students as research assistants on specific projects
2. Community Partners
The community partners contribute the following:
- Assistance with identification of important problems faced by their members in each of our research policy areas
- Shape results in a way that the priority needs and lives of consumers are positively impacted
- Identify members within their organization who might be interested to serve on a particular project.
- A major role for the community partners lies in knowledge mobilization activities; including:
a. Reaching out to policy-makers on behalf of their membership to promote optimally effective policy for people with disabilities
b. Getting information out to their members and distribution networks
3. Policy Partners
The policy partners (federal and provincial) function in an advisory capacity to all teams. Their role includes the following:
- Assist in understanding the policy environment relative to any particular issues that they are addressing
- Assist in identifying appropriate contact persons within government responsible for the policy area under consideration
- Assist in framing messages to take government priorities, sensitive issues, program developments into consideration
- Assist in understanding the timeliness of particular policy issues and the opportunities for meaningful citizen engagement
Funders
From 2009 – 2014, the Canadian Disability Policy Alliance (CDPA) was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) as a Community – University Research Alliance. From 2014 – 2021, CDPA provides content expertise in disability policy for the Canadian Disability Participation Project also funded by the SSHRC under the Partnerships Grant Program.
