Adventures in youth-led research with disabled young people in the UK and Japan

Abstract

A young researcher and his ‘travelling companions’ reflect on the complex realities of adventures in peer research in Japan and the UK. We explore the barriers and enabling factors in this collective experience, to suggest strategies for international and intergenerational collaboration between young people and academics, highlighting the importance of relationships and attitudes. Unusually, the J-UK project was conceptualised and instigated by a young researcher who, with the support of an established youth research group Ucan, was able to make the idea a reality. The chapter celebrates the messiness of participatory research, recognising the different strengths that everyone brings and the importance of long-term spaces and relationships with children and young people for understanding and following their own research agendas. Sharing the learning from our experiences and strategies to undertake this work, we hope to encourage more inclusive and impactful research through which children and young people can set and pursue their own research agendas.