Ten projects across the UK have received between £35,000 and £40,000 each to explore how disabled people can live as full citizens in our society and what changes and support will make that happen in practice.

Nearly £400,000 worth of funding has been granted as the first part of the DRILL (Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning) programme, a £5 million research scheme led by disabled people and funded by Big Lottery Fund.

Each research or pilot project will be led by disabled people or people with long term health conditions; they will be developing approaches and questions, working alongside academics and policy makers. Disabled people who often struggle to have their voices heard will be shaping research – including people living with dementia, learning disabilities and mental health issues.

Grants were approved by the DRILL Central Research Committee, which is chaired by Professor Tom Shakespeare. He said:

“Historically, research led by disabled people has been instrumental in influencing policy and practice, from the first Disability Discrimination laws 20 years ago to policies to give disabled people more choice and control over our own support.

“We are delighted to announce 10 new research projects led by disabled people, on topics ranging from how best people with learning difficulties can be supported to take decisions – rather than have those decisions taken out of their hands – to what would better support Asian disabled women to lead full lives. We sometimes find the questions posed by disabled people are different from those posed by non-disabled academics, and so this research has the potential to answer questions of most concern to disabled people.

“The programme will involve sharing knowledge, research and skills through genuine co-production between disabled people and academics and should leave  a legacy of greater skills for all involved.”

The 10 successful projects will be led by:

England
Centre for Welfare Reform
University of Lincoln
Asian People’s Disability Alliance
Inclusion Barnet
Vision Sense

Northern Ireland
Queen’s University Belfast – School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work

Scotland
Voices of Experience
People First Scotland

Wales
C.A.R.P Collaborations
All Wales People First

Launched in 2015, the DRILL programme is fully funded by Big Lottery Fund and delivered by Disability Rights UK, Disability Action Northern Ireland, Inclusion Scotland and Disability Wales. DRILL is expecting to fund up to 40 research pilots and projects over a five-year period, all led by disabled people.  Around £600,000 will be allocated in the next round of applications, which are currently being assessed.  An announcement is due in February 2017. Further calls for potential projects will be made between 2017 and 2019.

For further information visit www.drilluk.org.uk