Stewarts is supporting a new research project funded by the University of Birmingham that is bringing together legal professionals and people with learning difficulties to produce accessible legal information.
There is a significant unmet legal need for accessible information about common legal topics. Research by the Legal Services Board has demonstrated that while everyone accessing legal services is potentially vulnerable, learning disability and low literacy can increase the risks of vulnerability when accessing legal services.
At least part of the challenge of ensuring that disabled people have the support they need to make legally relevant decisions and choices is making information about law easily available. Easy-to-read, accessible legal information can help close this access to justice gap.
Stewarts is proud to support a new research project funded by the University of Birmingham to bring together legal professionals and people with learning disabilities to co-produce accessible legal information on common legal topics and provide a model for ethical co-production with disabled people.
The objectives of the project are to:
- Create a co-production group of people with learning disabilities and legal professionals
- Co-produce a set of easy-to-read materials to support ethical research practice in co-production work with disabled people
- Co-produce useable, accessible legal information that aligns with the priorities of people with learning disabilities and legal service providers
- Evaluate and reflect on the co-production process to support future ethical, egalitarian and effective legal research.
The research is led by Professor Rosie Harding (University of Birmingham), and the research team includes Dr Amanda Keeling (University of Leeds) and Dhanishka Seneviratne (University of Birmingham). The project partners are Sophie O’Connell (Wilsons Solicitors), Philipa Bragman (Consultant Disability Facilitator) and People First Ltd.
Stewarts is hosting three co-production workshops in our London office on 14 July, 4 October, and 18 January. Our colleagues are also volunteering their time to support the project.
More information on the project can be found here.
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