ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that advocacy and activism are integral to inclusive research and that the involvement of people with intellectual disabilities in such research can be a precursor or an addition to their mobilization as advocates and activists, including taking on leadership roles as an outcome of inclusive research. It shows how the development of knowledge and power by a group can make or contribute to positive changes at both local and national levels and can support the development of leaders who are able to use their research and knowledge to campaign and to lobby for change. The chapter describes ‘inclusive research’ and its origins in order to highlight its importance for people with intellectual disabilities. It provides an account of the evolution of the original national inclusive research project in Ireland and the ways in which inclusive research, advocacy and activism have developed and changed since the original project concluded in 2008.
