Within the second of our LivingBodiesObjects (LBO) takeover trilogy, Dey Ricketts displays on residency 2: The impression and significance of easy-read and co-production for early profession researchers.
LivingBodiesObjects (LBO) is a Wellcome Belief-funded exploration of how Well being analysis is carried out and the way new methods of working may be established. The mission comprised 4 residencies involving medical humanities researchers from the College of Leeds, a inventive digital media firm, and an exterior companion. A analysis assistant who was an Early Profession Researcher (ECR) was employed for every residency. An ECR is a post-graduate researcher (both on the verge of finishing or having accomplished their PhD inside the previous few years). Over the three days, three of the analysis assistants will present accounts exploring how we’ve been studying from one another relating to an revolutionary approach of utilizing co-production as ECRs.
For my first post-doctoral analysis expertise, we labored as fellow researchers with younger adults who’re neurodivergent (trainees). This method led to a refreshing tackle co-production and enhanced participation as a result of the younger adults weren’t solely in a position to acquire an understanding of what it was prefer to be a researcher; they have been integral to the outcomes of the mission we have been engaged on.
The usage of digital actuality (VR) know-how with younger adults with extra wants remains to be under-researched. In our second residency with Dwelling Our bodies Objects, we needed to discover the advantages and limitations of VR know-how with younger adults with extra wants, following on from findings from our first residency, the place using robots was a part of a co-produced efficiency (see Luo’s (2025) put up).
Right here, we discovered that know-how enabled younger people who find themselves neurodivergent to reveal their strengths and skills. In our second residency we appeared on the bodily and psychological wellbeing benefits- in addition to the limitations- of utilizing VR know-how with 2 teams of 8-10 younger adults (aged 16-25) with completely different types of neurodivergence- together with ADHD, autism and Prader Willis Syndrome. We discovered that there was a definite optimistic impression on each bodily and psychological wellbeing for numerous wants. We additionally discovered that our method on this residency had so much to supply discussions on co-production in wider analysis contexts. For instance, enhancements to engagement from individuals resulting from a removing of an influence differential between participant and researcher by treating individuals as fellow researchers.
We labored collectively on serving to the trainees entry and use VR know-how. To assist them perceive why we have been researching using VR know-how, my job was to assist coproduce a scientific literature evaluate in each tutorial and easy-read codecs.
“Straightforward Learn is a approach of displaying written down data that makes it simpler to learn. Textual content is damaged down into quick sentences on a web page, pictures are chosen to characterize every sentence, and language is simplified the place attainable” (Mencap, 2024).
I first went away and accomplished the foundational desk analysis. This consisted of discovering articles which may assist reply two questions that the trainees needed some solutions to:
1. How may know-how like VR and Augmented actuality (AR) assist younger adults who’re neurodivergent with new experiences?
2. What examples of excellent concepts are there concerning the analysis involving or the final use of know-how like VR and AR with younger adults who’re neurodivergent?
I searched databases like Science Direct and PubMed for articles that could possibly be related to those questions. I then used PRISMA screening to limits the variety of articles discovered from 729 preliminary findings to 21 texts that have been probably the most related to those questions. I made this screening course of accessible by the use of RAG (purple, amber, inexperienced) grading the articles with explanations of why they have been graded as such in a spreadsheet so trainees may see clearly why I included the articles I did.
I then labored with trainees on how they want the data to be shared with them. They requested to have image references and simplistic language that anybody may perceive. We labored collectively on how we may simplify a number of the data. This meant eradicating all jargon, discovering related imagery to go alongside simple-compound declarative sentences that have been concise and to the purpose, and making certain that the format was accessible (massive print, picture to the left-hand facet of every paragraph, quick 1-2 sentence lengthy paragraphs, most 10 pages).
Being consulted as fellow researchers not solely led to higher engagement from the trainees with the VR know-how, but in addition helped enhance their confidence and communication with the remainder of the analysis workforce. Trainees mirrored that having data in easy-read format led to an elevated understanding of why they have been a part of the mission, together with serving to them really feel a part of the analysis course of in addition to the analysis outputs.
The simple-read method promotes co-production in a approach that ECRs can undertake in any mission involving younger individuals with neurodivergence and even members of the general public. Guaranteeing anybody may perceive our analysis outputs meant everybody felt valued inside the analysis no matter attribute. Eradicating energy differential between researchers and individuals. Our revolutionary coproduction method with the younger adults allowed me to discover additional issues from my very own analysis discipline of making certain anybody can perceive the data they’ve been given.
That mentioned, there have been limitations to this method. For instance, needing to suit the related processes inside time constraints introduced by the younger individuals we have been working with, together with the younger grownup groups altering as they moved on to proceed the following stage of their lives. One other downside of the easy-read data method is that it may be seen as infantilising. Additional, what is smart to 1 individual could not make sense to a different. Nevertheless, by consulting the younger adults and together with them each step of the best way, we ensured they’d be proud of the output. This included checking all through that they have been proud of the language and presentation used, ensuring that the pictures used have been age-appropriate and talking with trainees each verbally and in written format in an age-appropriate approach.
Straightforward learn model
Concerning the writer:
Dey Ricketts is a Apply-based PhD candidate on the College of Leeds inspecting interactions and intersections between life writing, social care, and medical humanities. She beforehand studied her BA in Artistic Writing and English Language, PGCE, and MA in Training with the College of Wolverhampton. Dey has had a wealth of expertise educating and speaking with kids and adults who’re neurodiverse resulting from her professions as a trainer, a advisor, and a help employee together with having her personal neurodiversity. Resulting from her care expertise, Dey understands the significance of getting access to data which can be free from jargon and simple to grasp.
References:
Mencap. “Straightforward Learn.” Mencap, 2024. https://www.mencap.org.uk/easy-read.
