Transforming the lives of people with communication and intellectual disabilities

Research from MMU is changing the lives of people with communication and profound intellectual disabilities across Africa and India, concludes a new publication by the UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR). The report focuses on Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 impact case studies in Low and Middle-Income Countries that also have UK impact.   

Manchester Met colleagues supported the establishment of Speech and Language Therapy degree programmes in Uganda, Ghana and Africa and mentored new graduates of the fledging profession in Uganda.

The research, which has been led by Professor Julie Marshall and Professor Emeritus Juliet Goldbart, supported by local partners and backed by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, has not only improved support for people with disabilities, but also influenced global policy and training.

Research in West Bengal, India, has supported over 300 people with disabilities and nearly 300 low-income families. This led to the development of culturally appropriate and sustainable home-based interventions that aim to support children living with disabilities, and their families, in bustees (shanty towns) in Kolkata (. Carried out with 11 partner organisations, it has not only improved care, but also promoted social inclusion by training community members and field workers.

Our work also stretches to communities in Africa, across Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. In collaboration with the United Nations Refugee Agency, and Rwandan refugee communities, the research has helped to increase understanding about the vulnerability of people who experience communication disability, to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), improved training for UN staff and members of the refugee community to assist refugees with communication disabilities, leading to better services and support for vulnerable populations.

One participant who undertook training about accessible communication said “Sometimes I had to run away when a person with communication disability approached me because I knew I couldn’t be able to communicate with them (it was frustrating). After the training, I take my time to listen to what they are saying.”

As well as overseas impact, the work is also influencing policies and training in the UK by supporting legislative initiatives such as the UK’s Domestic Abuse Bill, highlighting the vulnerability of people who experience communication disability, to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.

The learning from this international research has helped to educate Speech and Language Therapists in the UK and to prepare professionals to work internationally. It has also contributed to policies and funding aimed at preventing violence against women and girls with disabilities in humanitarian situations and has been reported at the UN.

Julie said: “It’s a double win: firstly to be able to help establish services in Low and Middle-Income Countries so that one day people like me from the UK won’t be needed in these roles and secondly, to influence policy and practice in the UK.”

For more information about this work contact Julie Marshall.