New Knowledge About Research Capacity Building: An Autoethnographic Approach to Understanding Skill Enhancement Strategies for Minority Researchers With Disabilities

Purpose: The purpose of this inquiry was to examine the research skill building and career development lived experiences of a Native American who is blind serving as a disability and rehabilitation researcher at a National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)-sponsored Rehabilitation Research and Training Center based at a historically Black college/university. Acknowledging that growing as a researcher is a lifelong process, this autoethnography presents challenges, lessons learned, and strategies for overcoming obstacles that may confront ethnic minorities with disabilities seeking to improve their research skills and develop research careers in the disability and rehabilitation field. Methods: Through the method of autoethnography, self-reflective stories and narratives were examined to expose marginalized position as an ethnic minority with a disability in terms of research skill enhancement and participation barriers. Results: Emerging themes and skill building factors included familial and postsecondary educational supports, assistive technology, professional and community engagement opportunities, and peer-to-peer mentorship. Skill building challenges were also presented. Conclusions: Autoethnographic style is appropriate for not only presenting the lived research skill building and career development experiences of a minority early career investigator but also exploring factors that could be important in helping ethnic minorities with disabilities desiring to become disability and rehabilitation researchers.