In this paper I consider recent debates in disability studies concerning how disability research should be conducted, who should conduct such research, and the ideology underlying research practice. Using data from in-depth interviews with thirty-five disabled people from Belfast and Dublin, I outline how they view disability research and how it is and should be conducted. I then detail three participatory action research (PAR) projects conducted in recent years – one concerning access to family planning clinics in Northern Ireland, one concerning access to school education in Kildare, and one creating an access map of Newbridge, Kildare - and reflect on their successes and failures in order to assess the developing an emancipatory and empowering research culture.