The Voices of Youths Project:
2014 – 2018
About the Project
The VOY project aimed to learn about friendship, social inclusion, and quality of life from the perspectives of youths (13 – 24) with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The project ran from April 2014 to March 2018. It was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The results are shown in the Belonging Matters film and the Belonging Framework.
VOY used an inclusive approach, researching with youths (aged 13 – 24) with IDD. We included youths with IDD on the research team. We also had community members who work with youths with IDD on the team. They all helped make decisions. We also used research methods to support youth with IDD who communicate in different ways.
We did two to three interviews on video with 24 teens and young adults with IDD. These were done in their own homes and communities. Filming allowed youth to use more than words to show us what was important to them. It showed places where the people in our study engaged in community life, and how they felt about these experiences.
We filmed 70 hours of interview. These videos were talked about by researchers and students. These talks revealed a framework that showed how the process of belonging to and engaging in community life occurs for youths with IDD from their own perspectives.
The Belonging Matters Framework includes four main ways that build belonging from the perspective of youth with IDD:
1. Having social relationships.
Social relationships happen through spending time talking or doing activities with friends, family, or other people in the home or community.
2. Engaging with people who are similar.
People can be similar when they like some of the same things, do things together, or have similar challenges.
3. Negotiating meaningful roles in the community.
These roles happen through activities like volunteering or work, participation in teams or groups, or experiences like going to the library.
4. Finding a good fit.
A good fit happens when there is a match between what the youth wants for themselves and what others, like parents or staff, expect of or want for the youth.