Type of Project: Funded project
First Participation Research Congress - Participation Research Projects

The "First Congress on Participatory Research" brings together scientists and researchers from different scientific communities to profile participatory research as an interdisciplinary research program. The centre of the congress will be concrete projects of participation research, which will be presented and discussed in plenary lectures, forums, workshops and poster presentations. Special attention will be given to the exchange between science, practice and people with impairments and their advocacy groups. The congress will promote research on the living conditions of people with impairments and disabilities in Germany from the perspective of participation and contribute to a stronger networking of "scientific communities" that have so far acted largely separately. How participatory research can succeed with the active involvement of people with disabilities and what added value it offers is a key focus of the congress. The results of the congress will be documented and published in a book. It is planned to develop the "Congress of Participatory Research" into a brand and to establish it as a regular scientific forum for participatory researchers* in Germany. The "1st Congress of Participatory Research" took place on September 26 and 27, 2019 at the Humboldt University Berlin ( cf. https://www.teilhabeforschung2019.de/ ). During the congress there was a lively exchange between science, practice, people with impairments and their advocacy groups. A total of 241 people from Germany and abroad participated, belonging to all the project's intended target groups: Scientists from different scientific communities; participants from associations and interest groups of people with disabilities, from politics, administration and the social practice of rehabilitation and participation. Renowned speakers were recruited for the five main lectures and 117 additional speakers for 41 lectures in 11 thematically focused forums, 5 idea/research workshops and a panel discussion. The contributions were selected in a preceding peer review process and thus corresponded to a high scientific quality. The presentations were flanked by a poster exhibition and presentation. Selected contributions from the congress, together with other contributions on participation research, will be published in a two-volume anthology "Teilhabeforschung. Introduction to a new field of research" by the applicant (Prof. Dr. Gudrun Wansing) and cooperation partners from the "Aktionsbündnis Teilhabeforschung" (Prof. Dr. Markus Schäfers and Prof. Dr. Swantje Köbsell) (2021, Springer VS). Due to the high interest in scientific networking and the need for a publication organ for participation research, which became apparent in the context of the congress, Prof. Dr. Wansing and Prof. Dr. Schäfers as editors have also initiated a new book series "Contributions to Participation Research", which will be launched in 2020 by Springer VS-Verlag and will also give young scientists the opportunity to publish under the umbrella of participation research. Due to the great success of the "1st Congress of Participatory Research", the "Action Alliance for Participatory Research" is currently planning the "2nd Congress of Participatory Research" (probably in Münster in 2021).