MARJORIE’S RESEARCH
Promoting Family Inclusive Accessibility Standards in Canada: The Perspectives of Parents and Caregivers with Disabilities
Researchers:
Laura Pacheco, MSW, Ph.D., University of Memorial – Principal Investigator
Marjorie Aunos, Ph.D. – co-principal investigator
Coralie Mercerat, Ph.D., Université de Montréal
Évelina Pituch, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, Scarborough
Partners:
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Newfoundland & Labrador Network (FASD NL)
Moelle Épinière et Motricité (MEMO) Québec
Description:
This community-led research project aims to explore the experiences of parents with diverse disabilities and their families by documenting their experiences while using federally regulated built environments, service delivery and travel/transportation.
Project Objectives:
The experiences of parents who have at least one of the following disabilities will be sought in this project: mobility disabilities (i.e. pain-related, flexibility, dexterity, mobility), hearing disabilities, visual disabilities, or cognitive disabilities (i.e. learning, memory, intellectual, or developmental), or a combination of these. We are looking for parents who have minor children under their care.
Parents and families will be invited to document their experiences through photos, recordings and texts to capture barriers and solutions in family-oriented accessibililty.
Furthermore, we are looking to:
Build partnerships among researchers, community organizations, and accessibility organizations to address gaps and propose solutions
Document accessible features that facilitate inclusion
Propose recommendations to improve accessibility for families with parents with disabilities, based on identified barriers and solutions
Funded by Accessibility Standards Canada
Fatherhood, coparenting and disability: what are the experiences of fathers with disabilities in Quebec?
Project Leads
Coralie Mercerat, Ph.D/Psy.D, University of Montreal
Marjorie Aunos, Ph.D
Research Collaborators
Evelina Pituch, erg. Ph.D, post-doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto Scarborough
Claude Vincent, erg. Ph.D, Laval University
Normand Boucher, Ph.D., Laval University
Partners
Raymond Villeneuve, General manager, Regroupement pour la valorisation de la paternité (RVP)
Ex Aequo
Description :
This project’s aim is to gain a general idea of what are the lived experiences of fathers with disabilities in Quebec. We also want to hear about their coparenting experiences.
Funded by Société Inclusive
From stories to praxis: Transforming community-based support services for women with disabilities who have survived intimate partner violence
Project Leads:
David McConnell, Ph.D., University of Alberta
Laura Pacheco, MSW, Ph.D., Memorial University
Research Collaborators:
Marjorie Aunos, Ph.D., Adjunct professor, University of Alberta
Coralie Mercerat, Ph.D., Université de Montréal
Shanon Phelan, Ph.D., Dalhousie University
Description:
Disabled women are at greater risk of experiencing IPV, multiple and more severe forms of IPV,
over a longer period of time, and by a greater number of partners, compared with their not-disabled peers. Disabled women also experience unique forms of IPV, which are rarely recognized by legislation or counted in research and therefore remain invisible. These include, for example, disability-shaming (e.g., being told they are crazy, stupid or not good enough), removing or sabotaging mobility or communication aids, and the denial of assistance with activities of daily life.
The effects of IPV are pervasive, adversely affecting women’s health and well-being, economic
security and social relationships. Health effects may include physical injury, chronic pain, neurological symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, sexual and reproductive health issues, and ongoing mental health issues. Disabled women are significantly more likely than not-disabled women to experience the negative mental health effects of IPV. For disabled and not-disabled women, the effects of IPV may last long after the violence has stopped: Many survivors suffer post-traumatic stress and or stress-related health conditions. IPV also affects how disabled and not-disabled women experience motherhood.
Trauma related issues such as substance abuse, difficulty trusting others, hypervigilance and emotional numbing may adversely affect parenting, although some survivors may compensate and be more-than ordinarily responsive to their children.
Project Goal: The overarching GOAL of this project is the co-creation, with disabled women and community organizations, of a Framework for developing policies and practices that are inclusive, trauma-informed, responsive to intersectionality, and fitted to local contexts; and, aimed at promoting the relational autonomy of women with disabilities who have survived IPV.
This is a multi-method and multi-stage research project: interviews with women and focus groups with professionals.
Upcoming research:
Well-Being of Families headed by one or both parents with a physical disability, with at least one child who is 8 years old.
Validation of a coaching program geared to empower parents who recently acquired a physical disability, or who were diagnosed with a neurological disorder.
Key Peer-reviewed Publications:
Pituch, E., Ben Lagha, R., Aunos, M., Cormier, T., Carrier, A., Gagnon, C., Gilbert, V., Dominique, A., Duquette, A., Turcotte, M., Wakil, R.-M., & Bottari, C. (2023). “What services?”: Stakeholders' Perceived Unmet Support Needs for Parents with Neurological Disorders. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1177/00084174231190765
Pacheco, L., More, R., Rose, R. & Aunos, M. (2022). Unfit and cast aside: Portrayal of Mothering with Intellectual Disability in Québec court reports. Critical Discourse Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2022.2152063
Aunos, M., Spencer, M., Pacheco, L., & Pituch, E. (2022). This changed everything: a critical reflection on the impact internalized ableist constructs had on becoming a disabled mother. Disability & Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.2137392
McConnell, D., More, R., Pacheco, L., Aunos, M., Hahn, L. & Feldman, M. (2021). Childhood experience, family support and parenting with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability (CJID). https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2021.1929880 .
McConnell, D., Aunos, M., Pacheco, L., & Feldman, M. (2020). Child maltreatment investigations in Canada: Main and moderating effects of primary caregiver cognitive impairment. Child Maltreatment. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559520910806
Aunos, M., & Pacheco, L. (2020). Able or unable: how do professionals determine the parenting capacity of mothers with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Public Child Welfare. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2020.172992
Aunos, M., & Pacheco, L. (2013). Changing perspectives via collaborative framework: parents with intellectual disabilities and their families. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 7, 658-674. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2013.852153
Key Book Chapters
Feldman, M. & Aunos, M. (2010). Comprehensive Competence-Based Parenting Assessment for Parents with Learning difficulties and Their Children, 170 pages. NADD Press. (link to author page)
Aunos, M., Feldman, M. & Pacheco, L. (2024). Capacity-Based competency assessment and its impact on child custody cases amongst parents with intellectual disabilities. Ethics and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Section II: Capacity, Consent, Assent and Decision-Making. Springer Publishing.
Feldman, M., & Aunos, M. (2020). Recent trends and future directions in research regarding parents with intellectual and development disabilities. In J. Cairney, R. Condillac & P. B. Riosa (Eds), Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 7 pages. Springer: Philadelphia, USA. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-020-00204-y (invited).
Aunos, M., Hodes, M., Llewellyn, G., Spencer, M., Pacheco, L., Jareslàtt, G., Tarleton, B., Springer, L., & Höglund, B. (2020). Chapter 14: The choice of becoming a parent. In R. J. Stancliffe, M. L. Wehmeyer, K. A. Shogren, & B. H. Abery (Eds), Choice, Preference, and Disability: An International Perspective. Springer Publishing.
Keynotes and Oral Presentations:
Aunos, M. (2023). Unpacking the Invisible Bias: How Ableism impacts the study of parenting and disabled parenting. Keynote Lecture. Nordic Network on Disability Research. May 12th 2023, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Mercerat, C., Pacheco, L., Aunos, M., Cousineau M.-M., Goulden, A., Swab, M., Mitchell, B. et Moyo, S. (2023). Investigating Reproductive Coercion and Violence Towards Women with Disabilities. Oral Presentation, International Society of Critical Health Psychology, Rancagua, Chili.
Pacheco, L., & Aunos, M. (2023). Exploring Intimate Partner Violence of Mothers with intellectual disability within child welfare court reports in Atlantic Canada. Oral Presentation. Nordic Network on Disability Research. May 12th 2023, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Pituch, E., Aunos, M., Cormier, T., Ben Lagha, R., Goyette, E., Lamarre, A., Gilbert, V., Dominique, A., Turcotte, M., Wakil, R.-M., Duquette, A., Carrier, A., Gagnon, C., Bottari, C. (2022). Stakeholders’ Perceptions on Needs, Care and Potential Solutions for Parents with Neurological Impairments: Implications for Public Policy. World Federation of Occupational Therapists International Congress, 27-30 mars 2022, Paris, France.
Aunos, M. & Spencer, M. (2022). The Role of Ableism in Discrimination experiences by Parents with Disabilities. IASSIDD Yearly Online Conference.
Aunos, M., Pacheco, L., & Spencer, M. (2020). Complex needs or complex circumstances? The life situations of parents with intellectual and development disabilities. Keynote Lecture. 2nd Virtual (online) Disability Conference. http://virtualdisability.conferenceworks.com.au/
Pacheco, L., Aunos, M., McConnell, D. & Feldman, M. (2019). Building effective support networks to parents with intellectual impairments: Understanding the training and resource needs of workers. IASSIDD World Congress: Glasgow, UK.
Villeneuve, A-C., Lussier-Desrochers, D., & Aunos, M. (2019). The use of technology to support parenting practices of parents with intellectual disability: An exploratory study. IASSIDD World Congress: Glasgow, UK.
McConnell, D., Aunos, M., Pacheco, L., Feldman, M., Savage, A., Hahn, L. & Laliberté, T. (2018). Collaborating for the benefit of families headed by parents with intellectual disabilities: a service pathways initiative. IASSIDD European Conference: Athens, Greece.
Guay, A., Aunos, M., & Collin-Vézina, D. (2016). Mothers with intellectual disabilities and infant-feeding: an exploration of their decisions. IASSIDD World Congress: Melbourne, Australia.
McConnell, D., Feldman, M., & Aunos, M. (2016). Child welfare process and outcomes for children of parents with intellectual impairment. IASSIDD World Congress: Melbourne, Australia.
Aunos, M., Pacheco, L., Starke, M., Cruz, V., & Sigurjónsdóttir, H. (2015). International best practice initiatives in the field of parents and parenting with intellectual disability. IASSID North America Conference: Honolulu, Hawai.
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