Iva Strnadová

Professor Iva Strnadová is a Professor in Special Education and Disability Studies at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and Academic Lead Research for the Disability Innovation Institute (DIIU). Her research aims to contribute to the improvement of the life experiences of people with disability, particularly people with intellectual disability and Autistic people, through inclusive research approaches that meaningfully involve people with lived experience as co-researchers. Combining research with advocacy is essential in Professor Strnadová's research program, which builds on supporting the self-determination and self-advocacy of people with intellectual disability and Autistic people. Her work is grounded in co-production methodologies that have informed policy and practice across health and education sectors. Her research program addresses critical areas including: Inclusive education and student voice - Developing accessible methodologies to capture perspectives of students with intellectual disability and Autistic people in schools; Health equity and accessibility - Contributing to initiatives like the GeneEQUAL research program focused on making genetic health care more inclusive, person-centred and respectful (for more information, please see https://geneequal.com/); Sex education and sexual health - Developing evidence-based approaches to sex education for people with intellectual disability and Autistic people; Self-determination and advocacy - Supporting the voices and choices of people with intellectual disability and Autistic people across lifespan transitions; Inclusive research - Advancing co-production approaches in disability research. Professor Strnadová has secured substantial research funding including NHMRC, Medical Research Future Fund grants, and ARC LP grants. Her work spans multiple disciplines with publications in leading international journals. Through her leadership of the DIIU's research agenda and development of co-production guidelines, Professor Strnadová contributes to advancing ethical, inclusive disability research while mentoring the next generation of researchers committed to social justice and equity. intellectual disabilities, autism, critical disability studies, special education, inclusive education, families of children with disabilities, inclusive research