Supported by TACC’s Partners for Change initiative, this project shows how living and lived experience and co-design can lead to tangible outcomes for autistic adults and their families.
By bringing together data and personal testimony, it stands as an inspiring example of intersectoral collaboration in action.
From data to testimonies: An inclusive research approach
Co-led by TACC member Isabelle Courcy, professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal, in collaboration with the Autism House, A Place to Call Home (Un chez-soi dans la communauté) reflects the power of the Partners for Change model. Rooted in self-determination and built with those most affected, the project offers a meaningful example of inclusive, participatory research.
The project began with a province-wide consultation involving 370 participants. The findings were striking: 59% of respondents were not living in their preferred housing situation, and 90% had encountered significant barriers in their housing journey.
Partners for Change: A Room of One’s Own (Production: Aura Strategies)
Intersectoral collaboration based on equity
At the heart of this initiative is an advisory committee made up of autistic adults and partners from both the academic and community sectors. This committee was involved in every stage—from concept to dissemination—and placed experiential knowledge at the centre of the process.
“This project is a significant step toward improving quality of life for autistic adults. It is grounded in the voices of those directly affected by housing challenges,” says Xavier-Henri Hervé, President of Autism House.
For her part, Isabelle Courcy adds:
“The involvement of autistic individuals must be more than symbolic. This project shows that their knowledge is essential and can be used in concrete ways to improve policies and practices.”
Practical tools to strengthen community action
To make the results more accessible and impactful, the team produced a series of animated videos titled A Place to Call Home in the Community (Un chez-soi dans la communauté). These short videos portray, with honesty and care, the lived realities of autistic adults navigating the housing system.
Meet Marie, a 25-year-old autistic woman whose housing needs and preferences shifted when she started a new job. Shared housing no longer meets her needs, and she dreams of a home that is quiet, spacious, and clean (My First Real Home, April 2024). Watch all the videos on YouTube.
These tools are already being used by community organizations, housing developers, decision-makers, and families looking to create more inclusive residential projects.
To explore the full set of resources, visit the project’s YouTube channel.