All Institute

03/12/202117/10/2022

International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Displacement and disabilities

Social Structures

Symposium

Author: Élise Fabre, Legal Assistant, Law Firm specialised in Asylum Law, Paris (France)

The protection of human rights in migration and displacement is a major global challenge for policy makers, as 27 people perished trying to cross the Channel a week ago and others are suffering from deplorable living conditions at the beginning of winter on the doorstep of Poland.

According to the United Nations, migration refers to both voluntary and involuntary movement of people across borders, or within a country. While people move to search for a better life, some specifically fear persecutions and are forced to undertake a long journey to find peace and safe living conditions.

During their journey and in their host countries, migrants and refugees face great barriers in accessing their human rights, especially their social rights, such as the right to an adequate standard of living, including housing, food, and the right to the highest attainable standard of both physical and mental health. In its 2020 annual conclusions, the European Committee of Social Rights expressed concerns over the lack of access to social rights of migrant families and children in Europe. The Committee showed particular concerns about the treatment of children in an irregular migration situation and asylum-seeking children, as they encounter many obstacles in accessing safe and appropriate accommodation. The exposure to trauma, the separation or loss of family members and the lack of access to social rights lead to the prevalence of psychosocial conditions among refugee and asylum-seeking children. They are, hence, subjected to abuse, human trafficking and face great violations of their human rights.

02/12/202117/10/2022

Assistive Technology & Beyond: Benefits of Technology Supports for All Students in Higher Education

Stories/Lived Experiences

Author: Dr Ruchi Palan, Assistive Technology Specialist, Maynooth Access Programme (MAP), Maynooth University

Birdseye image of table with 5 laptops various handheld devices and headsets. People appear to be working and there is tea on the table also. — Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

Technology advancement and innovation have reduced inequities in access to, and facilitated greater participation in, education for students with disabilities. In particular, assistive technology (AT) can significantly improve the overall educational experience of students with disabilities. Research has found a positive link between AT use and education and psychosocial benefits such as academic self-efficacy, increased well-being, adaptability, self-esteem, and competence. Hence, AT is not only an enabler but also serves to empower students with disabilities.

However, AT that is commonly associated as a support for students with disabilities can also benefit those without disabilities. At the same time, with advances in technology, mainstream technologies now offer many assistive features. There is arguably a shift in perception of what constitutes AT and who can benefit from it.

10/11/202117/10/2022

Disability, Identity, Neurodiversity & Me: Or should “Me” be first?

Stories/Lived Experience

Author: Mac MacLachlan, Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute, Maynooth University

Mac MacLachlan

Different models of disability understand disability in different ways. The medical model associates disability with illness, deficit or disorder; and with the limitations these impose on individuals. The social model sees disability, not as a personal attribute but as the experience people have of barriers to their participation in society. The human rights model recognises both social barriers to participation and personal experience (for instance chronic pain) independent of barriers; and it asserts people’s rights to overcome barriers and access services to fulfil their right to fully participate in society. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD, 2006) embraces the social- and human rights-based models and obliges States that have ratified it – Ireland did in 2018 – to provide the necessary services and supports for its implementation.

03/11/202117/10/2022

Vulnerable Groups and the Right to Culture: Challenges in a Digital World

Social Structures

Authors: Katie Donnellan, Delia Ferri, Noelle Higgins and Laura Serra; Maynooth University ReCreating Europe Research Team

ReCreating Europe Logo

The world has become increasingly digitised, with digitisation having significantly escalated during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Lockdown restrictions implemented across the globe have pushed cultural content online and the internet has become the primary means of cultural enjoyment. This has generated ‘unprecedented challenges for the protection and promotion of diversity’ in digital cultural content, which risks exacerbating existing barriers experienced by marginalised people to the access and enjoyment of culture. Intellectual property law, specifically copyright law, is the primary regulatory means of protecting cultural creators’ proprietary rights over their content, and it traditionally operates to prioritise their rights over those of end-users, subject to certain limitations, exceptions and flexibilities as prescribed by law.

29/10/202117/10/2022

It’s Probably Nothing: My Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Stories/Lived Experience

Author: Aoife O’Brien, Academic Council Officer, Maynooth University

Side by side pictures of Aoife O'Brien - Left shows Aoife before Cancer treatment with long dark hair smiling. Right shows Aoife during her cancer treatment with no hair looking glamorous and smiling — Side by Side of Aoife O’Brien

When I was asked to write a piece for this blog, I felt quite flattered. But the truth is, I’m not that special. I’m one of about 3,600 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020.

It was early in August 2020 when I discovered the lump in my breast. An unusually persistent pain prompted me to look at myself in the mirror, and I noticed the skin looked rippled. I knew enough to know that was a warning sign and on closer examination I could see and feel a lump, about the size of a golf ball. I was hesitant in contacting my GP, hoping that the problem would just sort itself out. But of course, it didn’t. It stayed there, defiantly staring at me. So, I went to the doctor to have it checked out, all the time convincing myself that it was probably nothing. When my GP quietly told me she wanted to refer me to the Mater Hospital for further investigation, my confidence was rocked a little, but even then, I kept telling myself it would turn out to be nothing.

23/09/202114/10/2022

International Day of Sign Languages: Promoting Sign Languages and Deaf Culture as part of Human Diversity

Social Structures

Click here for Audio Version

Click her for Irish Sign Language Version

Author: Léa Urzel – PhD Researcher ERC Project DANCING, ALL Institute – Department of Law, Maynooth University

Léa Urzel

Today, 23 September 2021, marks the fourth celebration of the International Day of Sign Languages. Currently, Covid-19 continues to affect the lives of people around the world. The ongoing pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges for all, including persons with disabilities. It has further exacerbated the barriers that Deaf people and other sign language users face in their daily lives and highlighted the difficulties encountered in accessing services and information, notably health services and public health information (Panko et al, 2021). At the same time, it has also enhanced the use of national sign languages in public broadcasting as numerous press conferences, public health briefings and other speeches by government officials continue to be broadcast featuring sign language interpretation.

23/09/202123/09/2021

International Day of Sign Languages: Promoting Sign Languages and Deaf Culture as part of Human Diversity

Audio Version

International Day of Sign Languages: Promoting Sign Languages and Deaf Culture as part of Human Diversity – in Maynooth University, Ireland. Voiced by Hilary Hooks

15/09/202117/10/2022

September 15th, United Nations International Day of Democracy: Enjoyment of Democratic Values and Freedoms by Persons with Disabilities

Social Structures

Author: Matthew McKenna, PhD Researcher at Maynooth University’s Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute, Research Funded through the Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI) Centre for Research Training in Advanced Networks for Sustainable Societies (ADVANCE CRT)

Matthew McKenna

The Council of Europe (2020) recalls that the word ‘Democracy’ ‘comes from the Greek words “demos“, meaning people, and “kratos“, meaning power; so democracy can be thought of as “power of the people”: a way of governing which depends upon the will of the people’.

Theories and models of democracy and ‘popular governance’ have manifested in innumerate social models and national socio-political dispositions of rule over millennia since the beginnings of ‘Athenian Democracy’ in the 5^th Century BCE. The Greek Directorate of International Relations and European Union of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports (2020) provides the following synopsis of the origins of democratic rule that is cherished as part of the underpinning ethos of the favoured model of governance by the modern political establishment within the context of the socio-political order of the European Union (EU) of today: ‘Humans as autonomous entities in the context of organized society, the respect for their personality, freedoms and rights, were fundamental topics in the ancient Greek thought. From the Elegies of Solon (c. 630-560 BC) to the Democracy and Laws of Plato (428/7-348/7), the Politics of Aristotle (384-323/2 BC) and Demosthenes’ fiery speeches (384-323 / 2 BC), the ideas of justice, rule of law, decency, education, virtue and free thought stand out as key ingredients for the ideal regime’.

07/09/202117/10/2022

Ageism and Ableism: The Intersectional Discrimination Faced by Older Adults with Disabilities

Social Structures

Author: Matthew McKenna, PhD Researcher at Maynooth University’s Assisting Living and Learning Institute (ALL Institute)

Matthew McKenna

In July 2019, the United Nations (UN) ‘Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’, said that:

‘The mainstreaming of the rights of older persons with disabilities into all disability and ageing-related policies and programmes is key to ensure that the concerns and needs of older persons with disabilities are adequately addressed’.

However, older persons with disabilities face an intersectional form of discrimination within the European Union (EU), which derives from the intersection of ‘ableism’ and ‘ageism’. People within the EU are now living longer than ever before, with 101.1 million people aged 65 or over residing within the EU-27 in early 2018. Close to half of all persons over the age of 65 in the EU have some form of disability. Incidences of disability in old age, especially acquired disability, increase substantially amongst individuals in older age categories and, as a result, older persons with disabilities are at increased risk of neglect, loss of supports, abuse and poverty, amongst other risks.

31/08/202106/10/2023

SHAPES Project, Research Assistant Experience

Stories/Lived Experience

Author: Evelyn Soye, Research Assistant with the SHAPES Project (Department of Law and ALL Institute at Maynooth University)

SHAPES: Smart and Healthy Ageing through People Engaging in supportive Systems Logo.

According to European Commission’s Report on the Impact of Demographic Change, people aged over 65 account for the majority of the 50 million EU citizens who suffer from two or more chronic conditions. Meanwhile, it is estimated that demographic ageing in Europe will mean that the number of people aged 65 years and over will increase to almost 130 million by 2050. Therefore, although Europeans are living longer, increased lifespans can be associated with declining health and a greater prevalence of chronic disease and physical and cognitive impairments (UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2019).

SHAPES (Smart and Healthy Ageing through People Engaging in Supportive Systems) is an EU funded project working to develop a pan-European online platform that will provide a range of supports to older persons to facilitate their continued healthy and independent living. The project brings together thirty-six partner organisations and research institutions, across fourteen European countries, with expertise in health, social sciences, IT development, robotics, healthcare, care service provision and advocacy. Under the supervision of Prof. Delia Ferri, Co-Director of the ALL Institute, my role within SHAPES involves researching the relevant EU legal framework and investigating the extent to which it can best support the provision of inclusive, integrated health and care services.

23/08/202117/10/2022

Promoting Engagement in Sport for Persons with Disabilities Through Assistive Technology

Social Lives

Authors: Dr. Emma Smith, Postdoctoral Researcher, AT2030, ALL Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University and Ana Geppert, Masters student of Global Health at VU Amsterdam, intern with the ALL Institute at Maynooth University, in partnership with Loughborough University.

Photo by Audi Nissen on Unsplash: ESPN WIde World of Sports Complex, United States Womens wheelchair basketball — Photo by Audi Nissen on Unsplash

In celebration of the launch of the #WeThe15 campaign; the largest ever global human rights campaign to increase awareness and social inclusion of people with disabilities through sport, we would like to share some of our recent research in the area. #WeThe15 is an acknowledgement that at least 15% of the world population – over 1 billion people – live with one or more disabilities, each of whom is entitled to all of the rights and freedoms, and the benefits of social inclusion experienced by people without disabilities worldwide. Of those rights affirmed in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sport (Article 30) is one that we have had a recent focus on in our work.

16/08/202117/10/2022

Adaptive Fashion: An Instrument to Enhance Independent Living and Self-Confidence of Persons with Physical Disabilities

Social Structures

Author: Francesca Albi, J.D. Candidate – Università degli Studi di Verona (Italy)

Francesca Albi Profile Picture

Accessibility is one of the general principles embodied in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and it is explicitly affirmed by Article 3 (f), Article 9 and other provisions of the Convention. Accessibility must be understood as “the right to use goods, services and facilities available to the public without discrimination, and obtain an equal benefit from them” (Broderick and Ferri, 2019, p. 140). Accordingly, accessibility is strictly linked to the concept of “universal design”, which is an expression of the paradigm-shift embraced by the CRPD (Cera, 2017, pp. 107-118) and which is defined in Article 2 of the CRPD as the “design of products, environments, programmes and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design”.

29/07/202117/10/2022

Sexuality, disability, and the law: a call for action

Debates

Author: Carla Maria Reale- post-doctoral researcher at Faculty of Law, University of Trento (Italy)

Original Post: The Loud Silence on Disability and Sexuality; My perspective. by Mohamed Maalim

Carla Maria Reale

Addressing the topic of sexuality and disability means uncovering issues capable of questioning our stereotypes, our bodies, the construction of our desires, and our ideas on desirability. Sexuality is an issue that touches the core of our relational selves, of our identities as persons. Anne Finger, a prominent writer, and disability activist, defined sexuality for people with disabilities as “the source of our deepest oppression; (…) the source of our deepest pain.” (Finger, 1992).

In a post published on this blog, while discussing sexuality and disability from a psychological/social perspective, Mohamed Maalim used the expression “loud silence”. I was deeply moved by these words, as the same loud silence dominates the legal sphere of sexuality and disability as well.

This short post has the purpose of engaging in an interdisciplinary dialogue, to better understand how, from different perspectives, scholars, activists, and professionals can create a positive approach to and constructive debate on people with disabilities’ sexualities.

26/07/202117/10/2022

A Matter of Trust: Accepting Artificial Intelligence and Robotics-Aided Care to Enhance Independent Living for Persons with Disabilities

Social Structures

Author: Matthew McKenna, PhD Researcher at Maynooth University’s Assisting Living and Learning Institute (ALL Institute)

Matthew McKenna

The European Union (EU) is arguably emerging as a global leader in the ethical and human rights-based regulation and deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare, domestic and wider societal settings in the twenty-first century. On the 8^th of April 2019, the EU High-Level Expert Group on AI presented ‘Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence’. This followed the publication of the guidelines’ first draft in December 2018 on which more than five hundred comments were received through an open consultation.

According to the Guidelines, trustworthy AI should be:

(1) Lawful – Respecting all applicable laws and regulations

(2) Ethical – Respecting ethical principles and values

(3) Robust – Both from a technical perspective while taking into account its social environment

15/07/202117/10/2022

World Youth Skills Day – Reimagining Youth Skills Post-Pandemic

Social Structures

Author: Clíona de Bhailís is a PhD Candidate at the Centre for Disability Law and Policy (CDLP), NUI Galway. She has received Irish Research Council funding for her research focusing on Article 12 UNCRPD and young people with disabilities. In her previous role she worked as a Research Assistant on the European Research Council funded ‘Voices of Individuals: Collectively Exploring Self-determination (VOICES)’ project.

Clíona de Bhailís

In 2021 World Youth Skills Day celebrates the creativity and resilience of youth during the COVID 19 pandemic. Young people with disabilities have been particularly impacted by the crisis with schools and services closed, supports limited, and reopening creating additional barriers in accessing many public spaces. Through it all however, they have shown remarkable creativity, resilience and adaptability. This is despite not being consulted or at times even considered by decision makers.

The importance of participation in decision making is often mentioned when discussing research and policy which relates to children and young people. Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is well known in this regard and guarantees children who are ‘capable of forming a view’ the right to express their views on matters which affect them. Their views must then be given due weight based on the child’s age and maturity. The applicability of this right to children with disabilities is reinforced by Article 7 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) with two notable differences. These are the absence of the requirement for a child to be ‘capable of forming a view’ and an obligation on States Parties to provide ‘disability and age appropriate assistance’ to support disabled children and young people to express those views. Therefore, all children and young people, regardless of cognitive ability, should be allowed to express their views on matters affecting them, their views should be given due weight and they should have access to the support if necessary. Further, General Comment No. 7 of the UNCRPD clearly outlines that States Parties have a duty to consult with children and young people with disabilities and their representative organisations about policy development and the implementation of the Convention.

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