What does it take to make swimming in the sea, a lake or a river genuinely accessible to people with visual impairments?
And what happens when a researcher brings a stakeholder into the research from the very beginning?
In the first episode of “In Dialogue with Stakeholders”, a special series of Speaking of Research presented by Catherine McDonald, we bring researchers together with the people and organisations who can help shape their research and show how it can have impact in the real world.
Joining Catherine is SCDTP doctoral researcher Sadie Rockliffe from the University of Brighton, who is researching how people with visual impairments experience blue spaces, and blind double Paralympic champion swimmer and open water pioneer, Melanie Barratt, who is also the first blind woman to swim the English Channel.
Together, Sadie and Melanie have co-created Gateway to the Sea, working with partners including British Blind Sport, SwimTrek, Sea Lanes and Red Equipment. The event combined research, lived experience and practical expertise to help people with visual impairments build confidence and independence in the water.
Their conversation offers a glimpse of what can happen when stakeholders are involved early in the research process, challenging assumptions, bringing different expertise to the table and helping shape research that has the potential to make a difference beyond academia.
“In Dialogue with Stakeholders” captures these conversations to show researchers what meaningful collaboration can look like, and how working with stakeholders from the outset can help research have real-world impact.
You can read a transcript of the conversation here.
Find out more about the South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership at southcoastdtp.ac.uk
This is a Research Podcasts production.
Credits:
Presenter and Producer: Catherine McDonald, Research Podcasts
Guests: Sadie Rockliffe, University of Brighton; Melanie Barratt, Blind double Paralympic champion swimmer
Video and Audio Editor: Alex Canner, Research Podcasts
Transcripts: Lauren White, Research Podcasts
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