Belonging Through Good Work

People with learning disabilities have always been part of the economy — but too often their experiences of work, training and employment are poorly understood, badly measured, or shaped without the voices of those closest to the reality.

This interactive afternoon brings together third sector organisations, people with lived and professional experience, and researchers from the Learning Disabilities Research Network at the University of Strathclyde to do something different.

Rather than starting with predefined research questions, we’ll start with real stories: grounded experiences of what work makes possible — and what it sometimes costs — for the people you support. From there, we’ll collectively explore where current systems help, where they fall short, and what genuinely needs to change.

This is not a presentation-heavy event. It’s a facilitated, creative, and respectful space designed to value lived and practice-based knowledge as evidence.

Together, we will:

• Share short, real-world stories of employment, training and economic participation
• Identify recurring system tensions, risks, and opportunities
• Explore the ripple effects of work — positive, negative and mixed — that often go unmeasured
• Imagine what meaningful and secure economic participation could look like in five years’ time
• Shape research questions that could genuinely influence policy, practice and funding decisions

By joining this session, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Influence future research from the start, rather than responding to it after the fact
• Ensure third sector knowledge and lived experience shape what gets studied — and how
• Build relationships with potential research partners and collaborators
• Contribute to the foundations of future research focused on real-world impact
• Gain visibility, feedback, and opportunities for ongoing involvement, including co-authorship and partnership where appropriate

We’re particularly keen to hear from organisations working in employment, training, advocacy, support, and economic inclusion - but no prior research experience is needed.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Fraser of Allander Institute