A focus group is a unique and incredibly useful research technique to collect data through group interaction. These are also sometimes referred to as group interviews. Focus groups compromise of a small number of carefully selected people to discuss a given topic, explore certain subject areas or provide feedback on a specific product. Focus groups are used to identify and then explore how people think and behave.
Disability Connect brings together focus groups and disability together and provides a safe space to discuss disability issues to improve awareness and understanding of disability. The focus groups bring 5-8 individuals with disabilities together virtually for one hour. Up to four representations from your organisation can attend to ask questions and listen to the unique insights and first-hand experience of disability.
Reasons for undertaking a focus group on disability may include –
· To increase organisational understanding of a specific disability or disability more widely;
· to source feedback from individuals with disabilities on a particular product or policy, for example, recruitment and retention policy, reasonable adjustment, company website etc.;
· to source feedback on your company’s products and services for consumers with disabilities to better target and capture the “Purple Pound”, the spending power of disabled households; and
· to tackle a particular internal challenge when it comes to disability, for example, low disability declaration rates, low representation of disabled staff at senior levels, accessibility issues, low disabled job application rates etc.
The individuals with disabilities selected to participate in the focus group will depend on your specific requirements for registering. They will be from a range of professional and educational backgrounds and have diverse disabilities including physical conditions/disabilities, long-standing, chronic, fluctuating conditions, deaf/hard of hearing, speech impairment, sight loss, neurodiverse conditions (such as dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autistic spectrum) and mental health conditions (such as depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, eating disorder, panic attacks).
The focus groups will take place with five or eight participants with disabilities. Each focus group includes –
· A fully facilitated virtual one-hour session on Microsoft Teams;
· A carefully selected group of people with disabilities to explore particular subject areas or provide feedback on a specific product in relation to disability;
· A full write up of the key insights and the suggested next steps following the session; and
· Advice and support from Disability Connect and the potential to explore areas further with the focus group participants via another focus group or a 1-2-1.
For more information and to discuss your requirements please contact info@disabilityconnect.org.uk