May NUI Galway Host Largest International Disability Law Summer School

Sinéad Burke, Founder of Tilting the Lens, will deliver keynote address

The world’s largest Disability Law Summer School focusing on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will take place virtually from 31 May - 2 July. The Summer School, hosted by NUI Galway’s Centre for Disability Law and Policy, will focus on Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Access to Culture, Recreation, Leisure and Sport for People with Disabilities.

This year the Summer School will take place over five weeks with the programme containing a mixture of specially pre-recorded content, live panel discussions, interactive events, comedy sets, and a DJ’d dance party. 

Sinéad Burke, disability activist and Founder of Tilting the Lens, will deliver the keynote address focusing on the right to participate in cultural life and how this right can be achieved in practice for disabled people.

Over the five weeks speakers, many of whom have been directly and actively engaged in drafting and implementing the UN Convention, will include:

• Robert Martin of the United Nations Convention for Rights of People with Disabilities Committee
• Comedian Rosie Jones
• Irish author Louise Nealon
• Jess Thom from Tourettes Hero
• Playwright Rosaleen McDonagh

Professor Eilionóir Flynn, Director of Centre for Disability Law and Policy and Co-Director of the Summer School, said: “The global pandemic has highlighted new ways to make culture more accessible, for example, through live streaming of cultural events. Nevertheless, disabled people are still excluded from accessing culture in different forms and much work remains to ensure full and meaningful participation of disabled people in all forms of cultural life. The summer school aims to bring together those who are leading in establishing cultural rights for people with disabilities, advocates and human rights experts in order to learn from each other – and develop ideas in this crucial area.”

Co-Director of the Summer school, Maria Ni Fhlatharta of NUI Galway’s Centre for Disability Law and Policy, said: “Access to culture is so often forgotten about when we talk about human rights, but it forms such a crucial part of our lives – from sport to concerts to play as children. I am really excited about the programme this year, we have a diverse range of speakers with some really incredible artists, academics and human rights activists.”

Registration for the Summer School is still open and further information is available at  https://bit.ly/3fLHh8s, or contact Sharon Hegarty at 087 7987254, Joanna Forde at 086 4181673, or email disabilitysummerscho@nuigalway.ie 

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