Race Equality Foundation - Research
Black and minority ethnic disabled and D/deaf people's experience of peer support groups
Background
How young disabled people cope with the transition to adulthood has been of interest for many years. More recently the implications of independent living have stimulated interest, giving rise to a number of studies. However, an important aspect in the lives of young disabled people throughout this transition is that of emotional support. Some research has highlighted the role of informal supportive relationships to disabled people, through groups. Such groups enable individuals to gain support and advice, and specifically for black disabled people to meet other black people who share their culture, and way of life, as well as share experiences and concerns.
What we did
We used focus group sessions to explore the way informal support groups are organised to address the needs of young black disabled people, by examining how such groups develop and sustain themselves.
The aims of the research were
- To explore the reasons why and how informal support groups are established
- To investigate what factors help informal support groups to survive and prosper
- To use this information to help develop practice guidelines.
Findings
We worked with four peer support groups in London, Bradford, Swindon and Coventry. We worked with young people with a range of impairments: multiple disabilities, learning difficulties, sensory impairment, and visual impairments.
As a method focus groups sessions enabled the young people to build up their confidence in working with us, as well as empower them to set the agenda and, to some extent, the direction of what was discussed in the sessions. Group discussions gave individuals the opportunity to share their views, be involved in the research direction rather than the subject being dominated by the researcher. We found the young people wanted to share experiences with group of people they perceived as being similar to themselves, where it is deemed there will be no one who will be judgmental on what they will disclose about themselves.
The young people talked about the peer support group: why the groups were set up, how they are formed, what the groups do, what works with the group and why, what affects their group and gave examples of how they were actively involved in the running of the groups. Essentially we found the peer support groups were a forum for the young people to get emotional and practical support on race, ethnicity, religion and disability issues.
Outputs
A research report and summary was produced.
The research report Something to do: the development of peer support groups for young black and minority ethnic disabled people is available from REU.
Contact Bendu Walker on 020 7619 6220 or download the publications order form in the publications page of the website.
A summary Findings is available to download from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Peer support for young black disabled people (Issue 27): A Plain Facts summary produced for people with learning difficulties is available from Noray Fry Research Centre on 0117 331 0987.
For further information about this work contact Tracey Bignall on 020 7619 6225 or email tracey@racefound.org.uk
Useful Race Equality Foundation publications
- Between ambition and achievement by Tracey Bignall and Jabeer Butt
- Discussion paper 7: Family support for parents and families with additional needs by Tracey Bignall, Leandra Box and Sharon Otoo
- Discussion paper 5: Supporting black and minority ethnic young people by Leandra Box, Tracey Bignall and Isabella Bedi
Click here to see all Race Equality Foundation publications.