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Building Workplace Skills through Participatory Research introduces participatory action research (PAR) as a practical, skill-building pathway for self-advocates who want to strengthen workplace skills, contribute to meaningful change, and explore advocacy-related career options. The session begins with a clear, plain-language overview of what participatory action research is, how it differs from traditional research, and why it has become increasingly important for nonprofits and academic institutions seeking grant funding for intellectual and developmental disability (IDD)–related programs.
Participants will learn how involvement in PAR projects can help self-advocates build transferable workplace skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, data collection, analysis, and public presentation. Real-world examples will highlight how self-advocates have used PAR experiences to build confidence, expand professional networks, and move into paid or volunteer roles in areas such as legislative advocacy, leadership development, training, and social media engagement - building "Resume Gold" while at it.
The webinar will also highlight PAR-related resources developed by Strategic Education Solutions through a grant from the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities. These resources include online courses for self-advocates, instructor guides for facilitators, aligned toolkits for researchers, family support materials, and a LinkedIn learning community. The session emphasizes PAR as a flexible option for individuals seeking to build skills, supplement employment, or explore advocacy pathways while making a meaningful contribution to their communities.
Objectives
Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Identify how participatory action research and related project-based advocacy work can create meaningful opportunities for self-advocates, especially when traditional employment, volunteering, transportation, or rural access options are limited.
- Recognize “resume gold” by translating self-advocacy, peer support, research participation, lived-experience, consulting, and project-based tasks into marketable employment skills, including durable skills, technical skills, leadership, and potential self-employment or gig-work opportunities.
- Apply PAR-related resources and local opportunity networks to help self-advocates build, document, and communicate workplace-ready skills, including technology use, teamwork, professional communication, presentation skills, and advocacy-based career pathways.
About the presenters:
Cynthia Burrow owns Strategic Education Solutions (SES). SES researches and creates learning programs that support people with IDD. Her projects, funded by the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, include The Virtual Job Coach, Seen and Heard: IDD Community, Peer Power for People with IDD, Participatory Action Research, and more.
Cynthia also started the Self-Advocate Network, a suite of resources that uses a fully participatory approach to help self-advocates build the lives they want and live and work in the community. The Self-Advocate Network features online self-paced and instructor-led courses on self-advocacy, independent living, career planning/job search skills, and more, all anchored by people with lived expertise. We provide free resources and tools for researchers and service providers, and maintain a YouTube channel with over a hundred peer-led videos. The Network's LinkedIn group connects self-advocates with researchers and program staff who seek their lived expertise.
Cynthia is a founding SXSW EDU advisory board member and is a frequent conference presenter, including at SXSW Edu, The Arc of the US, NAPSA, AAIDD, NACDD, Reinventing Quality, and more. Her work is inspired by a vision of inclusion and opportunity for her son, who has autism.
Co-presenter, Ashley Sattler, is a self-advocate, peer support leader, and artist from Beaumont, Texas. She previously served as a Senior Peer Support Specialist with The Arc of Greater Beaumont, where she supervised peer support staff, facilitated group activities, and provided one-on-one peer support both in person and online. Ashley has also served as a peer mentor with Texas Advocates, helping self-advocates set goals, build independent living skills, and strengthen their advocacy through a statewide mentoring program.
Ashley is a member of the Southeast Texas Self-Advocates Leadership Team, a recent Texas Advocates Chapter of the Year award winner, where she also manages the organization’s social media. She volunteers with The Arc of Greater Beaumont, helping plan events, facilitate trainings, and support outreach in her community.
Ashley also contributes to research as a Participatory Action Research team member with Strategic Education Solutions, helping create plain-language research vocabulary and visual supports.
A gifted artist, she uses creativity to promote inclusion - designing a public communication board now displayed at the Beaumont Children’s Museum to support non-verbal communication. Her artwork is also displayed in the office of her State Representative, Christian Manuel.
