Equal Lives? Disabled People Evaluate an Independent Living Strategy for Essex Social Services

This research report summarises our recent evaluation of an independent living policy for people with physical and sensory impairments who use Essex Social Services. Local disabled people were trained to help perform this evaluation. The focus of the paper is to provide a practical account of the steps taken to include service users as equal partners in the research process. We share our different personal experiences and views, as professional researchers, research sponsors, Social Service managers and - most important of all - disabled people involved as Co-Researchers. We present our ideas for improving this process from the lessons we have learned.