The Faculty of Health Sciences is pleased to announce that it will host a QES Advanced Scholars West Africa Program grant at the International Centre for the Advancement of Community Based Rehabilitation (ICACBR). This grant will enable the ICACBR to provide training on community based participatory action research (CBPAR) approaches for West African and Canadian Academics, in partnership with community partners from Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Ghana. Participants of the workshops will then collaborate to develop and implement research related to inclusive health and education systems in Canada, DRC, and Ghana.
The QES program, which was established in 2014, aims to improve global talent exchange between Canada and other nations by helping to develop the next generation of innovators and community builders. The QES Advanced Scholars West Africa Program supports research projects at universities in Canada, and in West and Central African countries. Each of which must integrate gender equality and emphasize partnerships between Canada and our international peers.
The ICACBR, is a Faculty of Health Sciences Research Centre that envisions a world where all people with disabilities are included in their communities and experience full human rights and equal opportunities. Over the last 30 years, the ICACBR has worked toward this vision by applying the principles and strategies of community based rehabilitation (CBR) to partner with people with disabilities, their families, and their communities (including government and non-governmental organizations) to develop, implement and evaluate activities that build capacity, support policy, generate new knowledge, and deliver services.
This project will be led by Dr. Heather Aldersey, who is an Associate Professor with the School of Rehabilitation Therapy and the Scientific Director at the International Centre for the Advancement of Community Based Rehabilitation (ICACBR). She is also a Canada Research Chair, and Queen’s National Scholar. Dr. Aldersey’s research focuses on the supports available for people with disabilities and their families, as well as the social construction of disability across cultures.
Currently, Dr. Aldersey is conducting community-based participatory action research in Ethiopia, Ghana, and South Africa. The goal of her research is to understand the factors affecting people with disabilities’ participation in educational systems, and to use that information to make these systems more inclusive and accessible.