National University of Ireland, Galway
8th International Disability Law Summer School: 'The New Politics of Disability – Civil Society Impacting Change Throughout the World'
20 - 24 June 2016 

Registration is now open for the biggest Summer School in the world with a focus on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

This year the School will focus on many examples of creativity in civil society throughout the world in making the most of the ‘new politics of disability’ for change made possible by the UN disability treaty. It will explore examples of how civil society is using the convention to bring about change, how civil society is achieving higher impact by working through and with other agents of change including human rights commissions and new university-based legal clinics. Examples will come from Peru, Georgia, Argentina, China and more. And it will also examine the new more restrictive environment throughout the world for civil society and its implications for disability DPOs. As is usual, the Summer School will also expose the participants to the basics of the Convention and how it can be used on the ground. The Summer School will also feature its popular Moot Court exercise which will be presided over by a member of the Irish Supreme Court.
Over 130 delegates from around 40 countries are expected to attend this year’s event. The participants include persons with disabilities, their families, civil society groups as well as advocates for disability law reform, lawyers, policy makers and policy analysts. Alongside many speakers and instructors from disability civil society from across the world (and especially from the developing world) will be former US Senator Tom Harkin, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Persons with Disabilities (Cata Devandas), Professor Amita Dhanda (India), the Director of the European Disability Forum (Catherine Naughton) and many others.

Professor Gerard Quinn, Director of the School, said:

“Change is not easy. Somehow the majestic generalities of the UN Convention have to be translated into practicable lines of reform at home in your own country. There are many wonderful and inspiring examples of how this is being done by civil society in every corner of the world.  We aim to bring all this together and give civil society plenty to reflect on as they continue to take the lead in making change happen.”

The Summer School is supported by the Open Society Foundations.

Registration for the Summer School is now open and will cost €330. Further information is available here or email Meredith at Disabilitysummerscho@nuigalway.ie. No prior legal training or knowledge is necessary to participate in the summer school. Participant accessibility (physical or communicational) requests and enquiries are welcomed.