Drivers for Change – Prioritize Lived Experience
Equity Framework > Drivers for Change > Prioritize Lived Experience
Lived experience refers to personal knowledge developed through direct involvement in everyday life. Lived experience is valid expertise. People with lived experience have unique knowledge of problems and solutions. This makes their involvement in decision-making necessary for systemic change.
Working alongside communities with lived experience can help:
- Strengthen the legitimacy of the work;
- Improve the effectiveness of services;
- Enhance community collaboration;
- Support innovation
Creating opportunities for people with lived experience to part is part of equity. Participation should increase agency, control, and power among people with lived experience. Financial need may be an obstacle to engaging people with lived experience. In turn, participation needs to address financial barriers wherever possible through compensation.
Adapted from:
Sandhu, B. (2017). The Value of Lived Experience in Social Change: The Need for Leadership and Organisational Development in the Social Sector. Retrieved from:
https://issuu.com/thelivedexperiencereport/docs/the_lived_experience_-_baljeet_sand/6
Soh, B. L. (n.d.). Six ideas on designing advisory councils for the participation of experts with lived/living experience. Retrieved from:
https://maytree.com/stories/six-ideas-on-designing-advisory-councils-for-the-participation-of-experts-with-lived-living-experience/
Feige, S., & Choubak, M. (2019). Best Practices for Engaging People with Lived Experience. Guelph, ON: Community Engaged Scholarship Institute.
Further Reading / Additional Resources:
- The Community Engaged Scholarship Institute at the University of Guelph has prepared a document entitled “Compensating people with lived experience: best practices from the literature review for the Guelph neighbourhood support coalition”. The document identifies best practices for engaging and compensating people with lived experience in organizations’ work, and for communicating the importance of adopting best practices. https://www.cesinstitute.ca/system/files/Feige_Choubak_PeerEngagementProject_LiteratureReview_%202019.pdf
- Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation describes how meaningful public participation requires the redistribution of power. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=21024§ion=4.1
- Sandhu, B. (n.d.). Building Opportunities for Inclusive Leadership (SSIR). https://ssir.org/articles/entry/building_opportunities_for_inclusive_leadership
- Crenshaw, K. (2016, November). Kimberlé Crenshaw: The Urgency of Intersectionality [Video file]. https://www.ted.com/talks/kimberle_crenshaw_the_urgency_of_intersectionality?language=en
- Soh, B. L. (n.d.). Six ideas on designing advisory councils for the participation of experts with lived/living experience. https://maytree.com/stories/six-ideas-on-designing-advisory-councils-for-the-participation-of-experts-with-lived-living-experience/
Sample Tools:
Lived Experience Advisory Council. (2016). Nothing about us without us: Seven principles for leadership and inclusion of people with lived experience of homelessness. Toronto: The Homeless Hub Press.
https://www.homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/LEAC-7principles-final.pdf
The website is an open access platform to share learning, ideas and pioneering work happening across the social change space. It contains a report detailing the need for lived experience among leadership working towards social change.
https://thelivedexperience.org/
Racial Equity Tools is designed to support individuals and groups working to achieve racial equity.
https://www.racialequitytools.org/home