A retrospect into the history of the empowerment of the persons with disabilities have for ages been a myth to many. In the Cameroonian context, a good number of persons live with one or multiple disabilities and averagely almost every household has a disabled person. Over the years, a good number of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) have been created to attend to the needs of their members and communities. However, a very minute number of these organizations carry out evidenced based research, possess or run Research Departments to help gather and process data and information, on and about PWDs.
On its part, CUAPWD has been able to engage in a litany of baseline studies whose results currently inform development initiatives and influence policy most especially in the North West region. CUAPWD has in the past conducted studies on HIV/AIDS, Rehabilitation, Economic Empowerment, Employment Opportunities, Effects of the Socio-political crisis on PWDs, Inclusive Humanitarian Response, Reasonable accommodation for PWDs volunteering in Humanitarian Works, the Livelihood of Internally Displaced PWDs, the Effects of COVID-19 on families with Children living with disabilities, and lots more. It is worthy to note here that CUAPWD has collaborated with many other institutions and programs to carryout research findings. These institutions may include but not limited to; The Partnership for Inclusive Research and Learning (PIRL) Project, International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation (ICDR Canada-Cameroon), The Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS), University of Bournemouth in the UK, Bamenda Coordinating Centre for Studies in Disability and Rehabilitation (BCCSDR), Human Rights Watch, UNHCR, The Ministry of Social Affairs, and The Ministry of Public Health. While CUAPWD understands that these are relevant topics to research on and that even more topics in disability remain a virgin ground for studies in our context, it is vital for one to observe that majority of these findings were not published or covered only a small scope. Hence, there was a dying need for a research department that will put together the conceptions, the processes and outcomes of research findings.
In this regard, CUAPWD in collaboration with the PIRL Project is currently exploring ways of establishing a research outlet for the organization, in which earlier findings by the organization and other research opportunities will be revealed here for public here for public consumption. This will appear as yet to determined periodic publications.