A journey together - co-creation and experiential knowledge of people with intellectual disabilities in social policy

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has changed how people with disabilities, their rights and needs are conceived. To date, research and social policy around disability are informed by evidence reflecting a medical or an economic approach to disability, rather than a human rights model. This chapter discusses the epistemological relevance of co-creation and participatory research in social policy, with a focus on the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. It appraises the increasing attention to co-creation and draws from previous participatory research experiences with people with intellectual disabilities to showcase how social policy can benefit from experiential knowledge in research and policy design, implementation, and evaluation. Active involvement of people with intellectual disabilities and shared leadership can bolster a deeper shift towards a more CRPD compliant, fairer, and better way of conducting research and social policy making.