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NEWS

Also check out the Events Archive for past news.

09/02/2012 - CDLP Statementubmission to the oireachtas justice committee on mental capacity bill

The Centre for Disability Law and Policy has submitted to the Oireachtas Justice Committee a statement on the Mental Capacity Bill.

The statement is available here.

19/01/2012 - President Michael D. Higgins appoints Professor Quinn to the Republic of Ireland’s Council of State

Professor Gerard Quinn, Director of the CDLP, was appointed to the Republic of Ireland’s Council of State by President Michael D. Higgins.

For more information click here and here and here

02/12/2011 - Disability studies association of ireland proposed at international day of persons with disabilities celebration

The NUIG Centre for Disability Law at Policy together with UCD Centre for Disability Studies, TCD National Institute for Intellectual Disability and University of Ulster held an event celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on the 2nd of December 2011 in TCD. Prestigious speakers such as Anna Lawson, Professor Patricia Noonan Walsh, Professor Gerard Quinn and Eithne Fitzgerald spoke at the event which was chaired by Martin Naughton.

Professor Quinn discussed the proposal of an inclusive and inter-disciplinary Disability Studies of Ireland and presented a memo which explores options for the establishment of this Disability Studies Association in Ireland or a similar body (North and South). The memo mentioned can be found here.

The founding partners (TCD NIID, UCD Centre for Disability Studies, the University of Ulster and NUI Galway Centre for Disability Law & Policy) will host a follow-through meeting of all institutions and individuals interested to be held in UCD on 12 March next. For further information contact roisin.fitzpatricknuigalway.ie or any of the four founding centres.  

November 2011 - Commissioner Quinn hosts CDLP DREAM Meeting

       


EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, met researchers from the Centre for Disability Law and Policy (CDLP) at a meeting in Brussels in November 2011. The meeting was  arranged by the CDLP as part of its EU FP7 DREAM (Disability Rights Expanding Accessible Markets) Initial Training Network. Professor Quinn and the DREAM consortium offered the Commissioner an overview of their project and the Commissioner spoke to the group about research funding in the EU and, in particular, the next funding phase Horizon 2020.

29/11/2011 - Irish Senate
Committee on Public Consultation: Hearing on the Rights of Older People

Irish Senate - Committee on Public Consultation: Hearing on the Rights of Older People
29 November, 2011. Dublin.

Statement of Professor Gerard Quinn: The case for a new UN Treaty on the Rights Older People

21/11/2011 - The Irish Times, Genetic Discrimination Conference review

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1121/1224307907020.html

08/11/2011 - The Irish Times, Judith Heumann, US Disability Envoy

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2011/1108/1224307199260.html

04/11/2011 - Active Citizenship & Disability - Toward a 21st Century Model of Supports for Persons With Disabilities conference

The purpose of this conference was to bring together key thinkers and actors to reflect on the sharp break needed between traditional welfare-oriented supports for persons with disabilities and a newer model that aims to underpin independence, choice and active citizenship. 

04/11/2011 - Disability and freedom from torture, inhumane, degrading treatment of punishment conference 

This conference was held in Strasbourg in cooperation with MDAC. Further details to follow.

03/11/2011 - "More Choice, More Control" Supporting citizenship through individualised supports

This event was held by the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies in co-operation with the Centre for Disability Law and Policy. It considered in detail how Government can support the concept of individualised supports for people with intellectual disabilities, and the necessary changes in funding allocation systems which are required to make it a reality. The event was held in the Clayton Hotel, Galway.

20/10/2011 - Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 20th October 2011: Disability and inclusive development conference

The Centre for Disability Law and Policy (NUI Galway) and CBM Ireland in conjunction with Dóchas and partners from the disability sector hosted a one-day conference. Ms. Judith Heumann, (Special Adviser on International Disability Rights to the US Department of State) delivered the keynote speech. Other distinguished speakers included former Australian MP Bob McMullan. This exciting one-day conference showcased how international cooperation and global collaboration on disability rights has brought positive change for persons with disabilities. Conference Programme is available for further details.

20/10/2011 - Book Launch: National Disability Strategies - From Rhetoric to Action, Implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Cambridge University Press, 2011)

Dr. Judith Heumann officiated the launch at the Dublin Convention Centre at 4.00pm on the 20th of October 2011. A reception was held, before the launch, at 3.35pm. The launch took place at the close of a conference co-hosted by the Centre for Disability Law and Policy and CBM Ireland, entitled: The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - Promoting Disability Inclusion in Ireland and the World.

14/10/2011 - Disability Law Clinic Launch

The Attorney General, Ms. Máire Whelan S.C. launched the NUI Galway Disability Legal Information Clinic on the 14^th October 2011 at 6.30pm in Room 129, Áras Moyola, NUI Galway, Galway. The Disability Legal Information Clinic is a partnership between the University’s student-run Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC) and the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, directed by Professor Gerard Quinn. It will run its first clinic in October 2011. 

The Disability Legal Information Clinic is a free, confidential, accessible drop-in legal information service on issues related to disability. The clinics are staffed by trained student volunteers who will be supervised by either a legal practitioner or a staff member of the University’s Centre for Disability Law and Policy.

Pictured right is the Attorney General with volunteers from the Clinic and University staff members.

05/09/2011 - New MArie Curie Researchers meet NUIG president

Pictured (L-R): President NUIG, Dr James Browne, Magdolna Birtha, Abigail Rekas, Anna Arstein-Kerslake

Three leading researchers hailing from Hungary and the United States touched down in Galway this month to begin their three year doctoral studies in a €3.7m European Union Marie Curie Initial Training Network funded, Disability Rights Expanding Accessible Markets (DREAM) programme, being led by the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at NUI Galway. The PhD students, Magdolna Birtha, Abigail Rekas and Anna Arstein- Kerslake are members of an international team of 14 researchers who will explore options for European disability law and policy reform in light of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006).

The Centre for Disability Law & Policy, NUIG, was awarded the grant to direct the Europe-wide network over the next 3 years. Partners in t he network include several leading European universities ranging from Iceland to Spain.  The students will also receive paid placement with leading NGOs such as the European Disability Forum in Brussels. 

The Centre Director, Professor Gerard Quinn, says, “The object of the network is to create the next generation of disability policy entrepreneurs at European level and to generate research that helps the process of implementation of the disability treaty.  We look forward to working with the three new Marie Curie researchers to meet those aims”.

It is understood that this is the single largest EU Framework 7 grant won by a research centre in an Irish Law School.

For more information contact: Marie Kennedy, Centre for Disability, Law & Policy, National University of Ireland, Galway, 091 494011, email marie.kennedynuigalway.ie

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12/07/2011 - New LLM Scholarship Announced

The CDLP have agreed to fund a scholarship which will be awarded on the basis of a competition open to all applicants for the LL.M. in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy in NUI Galway. The recipient of the scholarship will be awarded the tuition for one year of the programme. 

To be eligible to enter for the CDLP scholarship, candidates must first apply for the LL.M. in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy.  Only candidates who are offered a place on this programme will be considered for the scholarship.  Candidates who have been offered a place subject to degree results are also eligible to apply.  Applications for the LL.M. are made online at http://www.pac.ie/. The deadline for receipt of applications is 5 pm, on Sunday July 31st, 2011.  Applications should be sent to llmdisabilitynuigalway.ie Full information is available in this PDF. 

07/07/2011 - Marie Curie Fellowship

In addition to co-ordinating the Marie Curie Initial Training Network DREAM (Disability Rights Expanding Accessible Markets), the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at NUI Galway acts as host institution for Individual Marie Curie Fellowships granted by the European Commission. This is an opportunity for postdoctoral researchers and experienced senior researchers to obtain prestigious fellowships of 12-36 months.

The 2011 call for Marie Curie fellowships under Framework 7 has been published by the European Commission and is available for download at and the deadline for applications is 5pm (Brussels local time) on 11 August 2011. 
See their site for further information.

Any potential Marie Curie Fellows who would like to submit an application to the European Commission using the CDLP as a host institution, should have regard to the following areas of interest in disability law and policy which are the focus of the Centre’s research programme for the next 3 years:

• Legal Capacity Law Reform
• Enhancing Advocacy and Access to Justice
• Achieving Independent Living
• Health and Safety Law
• Opportunities in the Information Society
• Economic Empowerment of People with Disabilities
• Intersection of Disability and Other Identities
• Corporate Culture and Disability Rights
• Mental Health Law and the UN Convention
• Monitoring, informing and linking national and EU policy
• Lifecourse Perspectives on Disability  
  

Applicants interested in making an application for an Intra-European Fellowship or International Incoming Fellowship, whose research projects relate to one of the CDLP’s areas of interest, should first examine the eligibility criteria and application documentation available on the Commission website, and may contact the CDLP to determine whether a proposed research project could be carried out at the Centre as a host institution if the application is successful. Further information, advice on writing a successful proposal, is available in the attached presentation issued by the Irish Universities Association (IUA).

Contact Details:

• Dr. Eilionoir Flynn, eilionoir.flynnnuigalway.ie
• Marie Kennedy, marie.kennedynuigalway.ie

More information is available in this Powerpoint presentation.

04/07/2011 - Prof Quinn gives Keynote Speeches in June 2011

Prof Quinn gave the keynote address, titled 'Taking Personhood Seriously: Legal Capacity Law Reform and the UN Disability Convention' for a symposium titled 'Securing Citizenship and Legal Capacity for All' in St. John's, Newfoundland on 21 June. The symposium, hosted by the Newfoundland and Labrador Association for Community Living, discussed issues of legal capacity without discrimination on the basis of disability and ways to achieve supported decision making. The presentation is now available here.

The National Federation of Voluntary Bodies hosted a one day event on 23 June 2011 to explore the progressive values driving children and adult disability support services entitled: 'Challenging Times: Ensuring values support ordinary lives - Exploring Family and Person Centered approaches'. Prof. Quinn gave a keynote speech on 'Supporting Citizenship - The Future of Services for Persons with Disabilites in Ireland: Some Reflections on the Impact of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Prof Quinn Keynote on future of Disability'. The presentation is now available here.

Gerard Quinn GIVES Keynote to US National Federation of the Blind in April

The 2009 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium entitled, "New Perspectives on Disability Law: Advancing the Right to Live in the World" took place on April 17, 2009. This year, the keynote speech was given by Prof. Gerard Quinn. For further information, please consult this PDF document or visit the symposium's website.

29/04/2011 - Prof Quinn gives Keynote Address at Peter Wall Institute Exploratory Workshop

Prof Quinn gave the keynote address, titled "Rethinking Personhood - New Directions in Legal Capacity, Law and Policy", at the Peter Wall Institute Exploratory Workshop, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver on 29 April. The full text is now available.

27/04/2011 - Mr Terry Stewart RIP

The CDLP mourns the recent loss of Mr Terry Stewart, formerly Director at the European Commission (DGV).  Terry was one of the fathers of EU disability law and policy in its formative days in the 1990s.  He was a great friend of the Centre.  He spoke eloquently at one of the Centre’s public events on the evolution of European disability policy and especially the creative use of the Structural Funds.  Since the history of disability policy at European and Irish level is so important his talk has been preserved in podcast on the Centre’s website.  His wonderful sense of Northern humour and humanity will be greatly missed.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Ann, his family and many, many friends throughout Europe who owe so much to him.

Gerard Quinn

16/02/11 - NUI Galway Launches Pioneering International Disability Law Masters

NUI Galway has recently launched an LL.M in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy, one of the first of its kind in the world.  The area of Disability Law Reform and Policy is experiencing significant growth, with the introduction of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which in turn has resulted in the development of disability strategies at international, regional and national level. The LL.M. will be provided in the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, a research centre of excellence in the School of Law, NUI Galway. The Centre is dedicated to producing research that informs the debate on national and international disability law reform and is committed to producing high quality research to contribute to that process. The Centre already has a lively cohort of PhD students who will mix and interact and enhance the learning experience of future LL.M. students.

Pictured at the launch of NUI Galway's new LL.M. in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy were (seated l-r) the University's President Dr James J. Browne and the Programme Director Shivaun Quinlivan.  Also pictured (standing l-r) were NUI Galway's: Professor Liam O'Malley, Head of the School of Law; Professor Gerard Quinn, Director of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, School of Law; and Professor Willie Golden, Dean of the College of Business, Public Policy and Law.
 
The LL.M. in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy aims to have small classes to enrich the staff / student experience.  This builds on a long tradition of an open door policy to students developed and encouraged in the School of Law. Other positive aspects of the programme include the opportunity to participate in community-based learning with disability organisations at a local, national and international level, many of which have enjoyed a long relationship with the Centre.  
 
Professor Gerard Quinn, Director of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, NUI Galway School of Law, says:  “We are very keen to encourage clinical legal education, so that the students gain practical and hands on experience, and disability organisations gain good legal knowledge. Our ethos is change.  This new programme aims to equip students not just with knowledge and insights but also with the skills and motivation to help transform the lives of the 650 million persons with disabilities in the world.”
 
Programme Director of the LL.M, Shivaun Quinlivan says: “What we offer potential students is top-class teaching in an exciting learning environment and excellent research resources. Our lecturers are leading experts in their fields, and aim to provide an innovative and exciting programme dealing with the process of law reform in the field of disability. The programme also places an emphasis on developing students personal research, practical and professional skills for an increasingly competitive environment.”
 
The LL.M in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy is a one year programme, which runs from September to August.  Further information is accessible in the new brochure. People can apply through http://www.pac.ie/ (PAC Code: GYL11).

15/02/2011 - Lifecourse Social Policy Agenda for the Next Government

The Lifecourse Institute today 15 February 2011 issued its inaugural Critical Perspectives Paper No. 1 entitled “The Lifecourse Social Policy Agenda for the Next Government”, available as a Word doc or PDF.

The recently formed Lifecourse Institute at NUI Galway brings together three Research centres in the university with a focus on older people, families & children and persons with disabilities.  Its primary function is to produce research that supports innovative policy reform across the lifecycle that enables citizens to achieve their potential and live fulfilling and productive lives.  The Lifecourse Institute is composed of the Child and Family Research Centre, the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology and the Centre for Disability Law & Policy at NUI Galway.
 
This ’Critical Perspectives’ paper is intended to provide a succinct statement of the major policy challenges facing the next Government across the lifecourse.  It is intended as a public service at a critical moment in our history when major social policy choices will have to be made affecting future generations.

28/01/2011 - CDLP Jointly Direct Project

The Study on Challenges and Good Practices in the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2010) is now online.

07/12/2010 - €3.7 Million EU Grant Awarded to the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at NUI Galway

The Centre for Disability Law and Policy at NUI Galway has been awarded an EU Framework 7 grant worth €3.7 million to develop and lead a Pan-European doctoral research project over 4 years. The focus of the research will be to find practical ways of making the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities a reality in the daily lives of people with disabilities in the EU. The FP7 grant will enable the Centre to lead a network of six other leading disability policy research Centres across Europe (including the Netherlands, UK, Norway, Spain, and Iceland). Several leading disability research institutes in the world will also contribute to its work including the Harvard Project in Disability.  
 
The project – called DREAM (Disability Rights Expanding Accessible Markets) – is premised on the idea that smart EU policy initiatives on disability are not just good for people with disabilities, but also help expand markets and increase overall levels of economic activity. Digital Europe, the main umbrella body for European software and hardware manufactures and services, acts as a key commercial partner.
 
All of the researchers will also have the opportunity to gain invaluable and funded work experience with leading European civil society groups such as Interights (London), Mental Disability Advocacy Centre (Budapest), the European Disability Forum (Brussels) and the European Group of Human Rights Commissions. This will help sharpen their analysis and lead to policy recommendations that are well grounded in experience.
 
The Centre, which is based in the School of Law at the College of Business, Public Policy and Law at NUI Galway, is part of the emerging Lifecourse Institute at the University which combines the research strengths of three NUI Galway Centres on ageing, children and families as well as disability.
 
Director of The Centre for Disability Law and Policy at NUI Galway, Professor Gerard Quinn says, “This places the Centre at the very forefront of research that points the way toward better European law and policy on disability. It will train a new breed of policy entrepreneur in the disability field. This is the vital bridge to creating better living conditions for the over 60 million Europeans with disabilities. We are honoured to have been chosen to lead on this project which has European level significance. The researchers will have unrivalled access to world authorities on disability from Australia to Harvard.”
 
NUI Galway President Dr James J. Browne says, “This is great news for the University and indeed for Ireland. It is a good example of university research that is both socially responsible and that also aims at increasing economic activity. I understand it is the single largest FP7 grant given to a research Centre at an Irish Law School. It augurs well for the new Lifecourse Institute at the University of which this Centre is a part”.

15/10/2010 - Prof Quinn Addresses European Commission Work Forum

Prof Quinn addressed the European Commission Work Forum in Brussels on October 12th, 2010 on on "Article 33 of the UN disability convention". The full presentation is now available.

28/09/2010 - Launch of the European Consortium on Human Rights and Disability

A promotional video for the launch of the European Consortium on Human Rights and Disability, to which Prof Quinn is an advisor.

18/07/2010 - International Initiative for Mental Health And Disability Leadership
IIMHL/IIDL Exchange Site Visit

The IIMHL/IIDL was established to provide an exchange forum and resource for provider organizations to help develop effective leaders. IIMHL/IIDL is a “virtual” agency that works to improve mental health and disability services by supporting innovative leadership processes. IIMHL does not fund projects as such, but rather facilitates connections between leaders. It is a “Government-to-Government” initiative and is funded by the participating Governments of each country.

In May 2010, Ireland hosted the IIMHL/IIDL annual exchange event. As part of the international Initiative, visitors from around the world (including New Zealand, Canada, USA and UK) came to Ireland to participate in the exchange.

This consisted of a 2 day site visit, followed by a network event in order to 'Brag and Steal' innovative and pioneering new ideas, as well as problem-solve transformation issues with leaders from other countries.

The Centre for Disability Law and Policy were proud to host a site visit to international visitors. The following summary document details the presentations and topics of discussion from the workshop event. The Powerpoint presentations are also available as a general resource.

• Development of Mental Health & Disability Support in Ireland - Dr. Andrew Power
• Personalisation & life in the Community: Ireland in comparative context - Dr. Andrew Power
• Addressing and combating hate crime experienced by disabled people-sharing experiences from England and Wales - Seamus Taylor, NUI Maynooth
• The Role and Potential of Advocacy for People with Disabilities - Dr. Eilionóir Flynn
• Social Support and housing options for people with disabilities - Michael Browne, PhD Research Fellow, Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway
• Issues for Families - Noelin Fox
• Mental Health Policy Climate in Ireland - Dr. Mary Keys