Inclusion and respect in research with people with disability

People with disability deserve greater wellbeing, participation, belonging and safer relationships. The Disability Royal Commission and recent inquiries into the death and mistreatment of people with disability make our research important and urgent. Our researchers are striving to demonstrate how this can be possible.

Our researchers are focused on creating better communities by changing systems, policies, and practices to build social inclusion and challenge marginalisation.

Our emphasis is on community-led and community-focused work that builds on capacity and strength; but still recognises the very real levels of disadvantage faced by individual people and communities, and the way that systems and structures shape this experience. Co-design and co-production are fundamental to our approach, ensuring people with disability drive research design, implementation and sharing of outcomes.

Areas of focus

Cancer Care

Cardiac Care Innovation

Clinical and Community Partnerships

Healthy start to life

Inclusion and disability

Intensive care

Quality aged care

Our Research

We take an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to research across multiple domains important to people with disability, including

Quality in formal services and supports
Preventing and responding to violence and abuse
Improving the quality of education and learning
Understanding and generating social and emotional wellbeing

Read more about our disability and social inclusion research

Our leading researchers in this field

Professor Sally Robinson

Sally has a national profile as a researcher and advocate for social inclusion and the rights of children and adults with disability to be protected from violence. She is a sought-after expert in inclusive disability research, personal safety and relational ethics, and quality in support for people with disability.

Professor Joanne Arciuli

Professor Jo Arciuli is an expert in language and literacy for children with disability. She publishes widely and has strong international links across Europe, the US and Asia. Jo is the Dean of Research for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Associate Professor Belinda Lange

Belinda is a pioneer of game-based virtual rehabilitation. She has extensive experience in the co-design, development and evaluation of digital health technologies in clinical and community settings across military and civilian populations.

CFI Researchers in this field

Professor Stacey George

Dr Fiona Rillotta

Dr Alinka Fisher

Associate Professor Ruth Walker

Associate Professor Michelle Bellon

Associate Professor Sebastian Doeltgen

Associate Professor Pammi Raghavendra

Professor Chris Brebner

Amy Marshall

Dr Jan Idle

Partner with us

We can’t reinvent care alone. We need partners across industry, government, and the general public to co-design the projects and new support mechanisms. Let’s work together to understand the building blocks of care in our society.

We can make a difference together.
Be the change.

Collaborate with us