Learnings from an Adapted Online Photovoice Method for Participatory Research during the Covid-19 Pandemic

This paper presents our learnings from a virtual Photovoice method in a neurodiversity context (i.e. combining autistic and non-autistic participants and researchers). The project was conducted in partnership with a community organization (Quebec, Canada) focused on professional integration. It began before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and we had to adapt our research protocol to an online format due to health and social containment measures. In its original form, the Photovoice method is a participatory visual method where participants use photographs to convey their perceptions of a specific theme or problem, including its causes, and potential solutions (Wang & Burris, 1997). Two groups of four participants each, aged between 21 and 47 years, accompanied with two social educators of the community organization, took part in the project. A grounded theoretical analysis was carried out throughout the project, and each photovoice session began with a validation of ideas related to the previous session (member checking) (Charmaz, 2014; Urquhart, 2012). Overall, the pandemic context appeared as a trigger to better adapting the method to the participants’ preferences. The virtual format proved effective in reaching participants who are more comfortable expressing themselves in communication contexts that offer other possibilities than direct, synchronous verbal communication. In addition, the method developed and implemented differs from that used in face-to-face sessions, where visual aids other than photos are used (cell films, drawings, etc.). The results show the relevance of this virtual participatory method in supporting meaningful participation and sharing of experiences among participants. By bridging gaps in verbal communication, it also enhances greater epistemic equity, which is a significant contribution to qualitative research conducted in neurodiversity contexts.