Research Summary
Stories are powerful tools for change—especially when they engage all the senses. As Canada Research Chair in Multisensory Storytelling in Research and Knowledge Translation, Dr. Kathleen Sitter is exploring how multisensory storytelling can make research more inclusive, particularly for people with disabilities.
By using sound, scent and other sensory experiences, she and her research team are helping to uncover new ways for participants to engage with research and for knowledge to be shared more equitably. They plan to launch a Multisensory Storytelling Research Studio and develop a participatory sound and smell project that captures the histories and experiences of the disability community. Sitter is also leading a new book series and advancing inclusive methods of knowledge translation that move beyond text and visuals. Sitter’s research will open up creative, meaningful ways to understand the world—and ensure that diverse voices and perspectives are recognized and respected in academic and public discourse.