Mixed Methods Research Strategies With Deaf People

Abstract

Deaf people, members of a complex global language minority, have been excluded from positions of power in the field of humanitarian aid and development assistance, as well as from playing a significant role in the conduct of research that affects their lives. Deaf people rarely lead or participate as researchers in studies about their own communities or about the assistance they receive. Transformative mixed methods research strategies focus on the development of culturally respectful relationships to enhance collaboration between members of dominant and marginalized communities in order to improve the accuracy and usefulness of the findings. In this article, the application of transformative mixed methods in the deaf community provides examples of how research reveals complex realities and how researchers employ mixed methods strategies to appropriately engage members of marginalized communities in the context of development assistance to support human rights.