Annual one-week PIRL Institutes brought PIRL members together to learn about inclusive research, and to further develop our partnership model. Over the 3 years of the project, there were 4 institutes: two in 2019 (one in Canada, one in Cameroon), and one each in 2020 and 2021, both online.
The Institutes used a blended learning approach consisting of workshops and seminars, supplemented by online sessions and resources.
In 2019, the Institutes focused on the development of tools, processes, data collection (surveys, interviews and focus groups) and initial analysis. In 2020, the Institute focused on data analysis. In 2021, the Institute focused on innovative and effective knowledge translation and mobilization.
The programs and the proceedings for the Institutes are available here [link to programs].
In addition to the PIRL Project team members, these research institutes were open to researchers, students, and technology professionals working in fields related to disability inclusive development, particularly in the social sciences. We often refer to “disability inclusive development” as D-I-D.
The institutes were designed such that all participants, including students and postdoctoral researchers, could gain useful research skills on qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research in addition to improving their teamwork and leadership skills.
There were also efforts made to include persons with disabilities in the Institutes. Audio recordings, transcripts of sessions, and sign language interpretation was provided. Participants used their own laptops and other devices. Computer access was facilitated for partners in Cameroon who did not have personal laptops.
There was an annual project cycle for each of the PIRL Institutes. This cycle included the preparation and development of resources for use in the Institute (4 months), the days of the actual Institutes, and the development of follow-up Resources and Institute Proceedings (3-6 months).
Over the three years, a large body of tools, resources, and documents was collected and developed, including videos, audios, and textual materials that are freely available on this website here. These resources continue to evolve.
Quantitative and qualitative information was gathered as part of the process of evaluating the PIRL Institutes, and the summaries are included in the Institute proceedings.