Family studies; social justice; inclusion; capacity; gender
I am a disability studies investigator leading a program of qualitative research about how families navigate and negotiate responsibilities and identities in relation to care for family members who have ability differences and/or mental health issues. From within study participant families, I encompass in-depth accounts from as many members as are interested and available and, as a result, I have an expanding set of multi-perspective data where relationships are not only discussed but also enacted. My research projects have been funded nationally, provincially and locally and I have a reputation for policy and practice relevant work created by engaging community collaborators and student trainees in all stages of research processes and outcomes. My data, and the research articles and implications driven by my data, are complex and rich and continue to be focused on under-examined topics of ambivalence, decision-making, vulnerability and resilience at the intersection of ability differences, social disablement, health and family.