According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006, p. 18), disabled people should be enabled to access "adult education and lifelong learning without discrimination". However, the freedom of adults with disabilities to choose educational programmes that foster individual talents and creativity is still restricted. This is especially true for people with an intellectual disability, who often work in sheltered workplaces and who are rarely offered opportunities of adult education.

The present research project examines an educational programme aimed at adults with an intellectual disability. The intervention qualified participants with cognitive impairments to become a peer counsellor and to advice other people with disabilities with respect to different living arrangements (e.g. homes for disabled people, inclusive flat sharing communities or separate apartments). Furthermore, non-disabled professional counsellors took part in the programme and learned how to support peer counsellors as tandem partners. Following an inclusive approach, a central vision of the project was that counsellors with and without disability should cooperate with each other on equal terms without hierarchies.

The research project focused on the following main questions: How do participants evaluate their communication skills and their communicative self-concept? Are there any changes after the intervention? How do they evaluate the different modules of the programme? What biographical background of the peer counsellors can enrich the counselling process? How do participants describe their learning progress and what is their understanding of counselling?

Concerning the historical and theoretical background, the presented approach of peer counselling can be traced back to the disability rights movement, especially to the philosophy of Independent Living, and relies on a social model of disability. The Independent Living Movement rejected the traditional medical model that construed disability as a pathological deficit located in the disabled person. Instead it drew attention to the social conditions that restrained people with disabilities from full participation (Johnstone, 2002). Up to the present day, peer counselling is central to the idea of Independent Living. In the literature we find some crucial characteristics of peer counselling (Hermes, 2016; White et al., 2010): First, the counsellor and the counselee share common life-experience with respect to their disability. Therefore, there might be a deeper level of understanding and identification than in a regular counselling. Secondly, the counselee is respected as a competent interaction partner who takes part in the counselling process voluntarily. The peer counsellor tries to have a holistic view on the client by taking into account not only the respective disability but as well the client’s economic, social and cultural background. Last but not least, peer counselling – just as the Independent Living Movement in general – raises an emancipatory claim. It should encourage people with disabilities to take the responsibility for a life in self-determination and to articulate their individual and political interests.

Empirical studies investigating peer counselling with respect to people with disabilities show promising results: Concretely, the majority of counselees indicate a very high satisfaction with peer counselling. They appreciate the combination of personal experience and knowledge found in a peer counsellor. Furthermore, they report that the example of the peer counsellor – who successfully coped with disability-related barriers – conveys confidence and hope (Braukmann, Heimer, Jordan, Maetzel, Schreiner & Wansing, 2017; Salzer, 2002). The peer counsellors themselves often regard their counselling activities as enriching as they can offer useful help and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities (Braukmann et al., 2017). In addition, studies suggest that peer counsellors grow in their self-confidence (e.g. with respect to communicative skills) and in their ability to cope with their own impairment (Plaß, 2005; Solomon, 2004).

The design of the evaluated six-month intervention embraced six modules. They dealt with different topics that prove to be important with respect to peer counselling and living arrangements for people with disabilities. For instance, participants learned about different forms of housing. They identified personal strengths and discussed disability-related experiences. Furthermore, they were introduced to the philosophy of Independent Living and practiced counselling. Methodologically, the programme employed varying techniques, e.g. input phases, activating group discussions and creative approaches as well as role playing with video feedback. The project evaluation had a mainly qualitative design, focusing on extended face-to-face interviews with the six participants with an intellectual disability and the three tandem partners taking part in the programme. In addition, a questionnaire was employed to measure changes in participants’ self-assessments of communication skills (e.g. by the item “I can explain things well”). In addition, the questionnaire embraced other aspects, as for example, participants’ feelings of social integration in their everyday life. Each module was evaluated with respect to different aspects (e.g. interest in and understanding of the presented topics as well as well-being in the group). A particular challenge during the research project was the adaption of instruments to people with an intellectual disability. The questionnaire items were inspired by existing measurement scales (e.g. Rauer & Schuck, 2003) and further developed in cooperation with professionals having worked with people with cognitive impairments for several years. Language, length and response scales in the questionnaire were reduced in complexity to fit the target group. Participants who had difficulty in reading got assistance to answer items, and statements were read out to them. In order to capture the subjective perspectives of the peer counsellors and the tandem partners, and to have the opportunity to adapt language levels to varying communicative skills flexibly, semi-structured interviews constituted the main method of data collection (Edwards & Holland, 2013). Answers were analysed according to qualitative content analysis described by Mayring (2010). The framework of content analysis was constituted by the following exemplary categories: (1.) Biographical experience of peer counsellors that are relevant to the counselling process, e.g. being discriminated or infantilized because of an intellectual impairment, coping with barriers to social participation and self-determination, and experiences with respect to different forms of housing (2.) Subjective construals of the counselling process (3.) Learning experiences in the programme (4.) Challenges and critical factors with respect to the conducted intervention.

The results of the present study indicate a high degree of satisfaction with the project and a positive assessment of the personal learning experience. The self-assessments before and after the intervention showed an increase in participants’ self-confidence with respect to communication skills. Furthermore, there is a very positive evaluation of the different modules, especially with respect to the atmosphere within the group. Concerning critical aspects, the tandem partners mentioned a lack of time. In the qualitative interviews the peer counsellors reported varying biographical experiences that are relevant to their future counselling activity which will focus on different forms of housing. All interviewees described certain tensions arising in this context. For instance, personal freedom and self-determination often conflict with individual needs of support and the wish to belong to a community. In this context, some peer counsellors reported that after moving out from their parents’ home they often overestimated their own competencies to run a household on their own. Concerning disability-related discrimination some, but not all peer counsellors perceive signs of devaluation in their everyday life. For instance, some interviewees felt that people without disability stared at them or made disrespectful comments. Many peer counsellors explained that the programme increased their ability to get into contact with others. Nevertheless, especially some female participants described that they still felt strange and insecure while being in the active role of a counsellor. The tandem partners highlighted that equality and the avoidance of hierarchies are key factors to work in an inclusive team successfully. Concerning the counselling process, all participants described that patronizing people with disabilities should be avoided. They recommended a client-centred approach that focusses on individual wishes and potentials without neglecting personal needs of support. Implications of the presented study and further research desiderata will be discussed.

Braukmann, J., Heimer, A., Jordan, M., Maetzel, J., Schreiner, M. & Wansing, G. (2017). Evaluation von Peer Counseling im Rheinland. Endbericht. [Evaluation of peer counselling in the Rhineland. Final report.] Retrieved from: https://www.lvr.de/media/wwwlvrde/soziales/menschenmitbehinderung/wohnen/dokumente_232/peer_counseling/170717_Peer_Counseling_Endbericht.pdf [08.08.2018]. Edwards, R. & Holland, J. (2013). What is Qualitative Interviewing? London, New York: Bloomsbury. Hermes, G. (2006). Peer Counseling – Beratung von Behinderten für Behinderte als Empowerment-Instrument. [Peer counselling – counselling by people with disabilities for people with disabilities as an instrument of empowerment] In H. Schnoor (Hrsg.), Psychosoziale Beratung in der Sozial- und Rehabilitationspädagogik (S. 74–85) [Psycho-social counselling in social and rehabilitation pedagogy]. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer. Johnstone, D. (2002). An Introduction to Disability Studies. London: Routledge Mayring, P. (2010). Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. Grundlagen und Techniken. [Qualitative content analysis. Foundations and techniques] Weinheim, Basel: Beltz. Plaß, J. (2005). Der Effekt einer Peer Counseling-Weiterbildung auf das Selbstkonzept der körperbehinderten Teilnehmer. [The effect of a peer counselling-training on the self-concept of participants with a physical disability] Mainz: Diplomarbeit an der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. Rauer, W. & Schuck, K. D. (2003). FEESS 3-4. Fragebogen zur Erfassung emotionaler und sozialer Schulerfahrungen von Grundschulkindern dritter und vierter Klassen. [Questionnaire for the measurement of social and emotional experiences of primary school children in the third and fourth grade] Göttingen: Beltz. Salzer, M. S. (2002). Best Practice Guidelines for Consumer-Delivered Services. Behavioral Health Recovery Management Project. Initiative of Fayette Companies, Peoria, IL; Chestnut Health Systems and the University of Chicago Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Retrieved from: http://www.bhrm.org/media/pdf/guidelines/salzer.pdf [08.08.2018]. Solomon, P. (2004). Peer support/peer provided services underlying processes, benefits, and critical ingredients. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 27(4), 392-401. United Nations (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Retrieved from: http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/convention/convoptprot-e.pdf [15.01.2019]. White, G. W., Simpson, J. L., Gonda, C., Ravesloot, C., & Coble, Z. (2010). Moving from Independence to Interdependence: A Conceptual Model for Better Understanding Community Participation of Centers for Independent Living Consumers. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 20(4), 233–240.