A Digital Bounce for ALL?

Click here for Audio Version

Authors: Deirdre Desmond, Delia Ferri and Mac MacLachlan; ALL Institute Co-Directors

Picture of the three ALL Institute Co-Directors in front of a white back drop. From left to right: Deirdre Desmond, Mac MacLachlan, Delia Ferri
Deirdre Desmond, Mac MacLachlan and Delia Ferri, ALL Institute Co-Directors

“Life is not a series of gig lamps symmetrically arranged; life is a luminous halo, a semi-transparent envelope surrounding us from the beginning of consciousness to the end” Virginia Wolf, ‘Modern Fiction’, 1921.

2020 was certainly a difficult year for many of us, both on personal and work levels, and, despite these challenges, it is noteworthy that the work of the ALL Institute has not only proceeded, but also the commencement of several research projects ensure that we will continue to contribute in many respects to the building of a fairer society. In the past three years, and more so in 2020, we have endeavoured to reach out to different communities and stakeholders at the local, European and global levels. We also launched this blog on the 3rd December 2020, a particularly significant date, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, to signal our commitment towards inclusion and equality.

Continue reading “A Digital Bounce for ALL?”

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: Some Reflections on the 20th Anniversary of the Charter

Social Structures

Author Bio: Neža Šubic, Postdoctoral Researcher, DANCING Project, ALL Institute, Department of Law, Maynooth University

Neža Šubic profile picture

The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter) celebrates its 20th anniversary this month. It was proclaimed solemnly by the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on 7 December 2000. Though not formally binding when it was signed, it became legally binding with the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009.

The Charter is the European Union’s bill of rights. It contains a comprehensive set of fundamental rights, ranging from civil and political rights to social and economic rights.

Continue reading “The Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: Some Reflections on the 20th Anniversary of the Charter”

Commemorating Human Rights Day

Social Structures

Author: Dr Laura Serra. Postdoctoral researcher reCreating Europe. All Institute. Department of Law, Maynooth University

Laura Serra - Profile Picture

Today, 10th of December, we are commemorating the day in which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Today is Human Rights Day!

Human Rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. Yet, in the twenty-first century, billions of people around the world remain on the margins of society, facing multiple Human Rights violations. For this reason, it is essential not only to commemorate the 10th of December but also to remind us how much remains to be done.

Continue reading “Commemorating Human Rights Day”

Commemorating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Social Structures

Author Ana Maria Sanchez Rodriguez – ALL Institute member, Irish Research Council and a Marie Skłodowska- Curie Actions’ fellow at Maynooth University

The author is grateful for the insights provided by Marité Fernández.

On the 3rd of December we celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The United Nations proclaimed this day in 1992 and this year the theme is: “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”.

While this is a day to observe and to commemorate, there is not much to celebrate. In the past few days, the international community, United Nation agencies, intergovernmental organizations and international organizations have organized virtual conferences to address what the main challenges are in order to realize the rights of persons with disabilities recognized in the United Nations Convention on the Rights Persons of Disabilities and other regional human rights treaties.

Continue reading “Commemorating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities”

European Union Disability Policies after 2020: Back to the Future

Social Structures

Easy to Read Icon

Click here for Easy to Read Version

Click Here for Audio Version

Author: Delia Ferri – Co-Director of the ALL Institute, Department of Law, Maynooth University

Delia Ferri - profile picture

At the end of this year, the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 (EDS), which has shaped European Union (EU) disability policies for the last decade, is coming to an end. The 3rd of December 2020, which marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, seems the most apt time to reflect on what EU policies have achieved, but also to look ahead to the forthcoming Strategy 2021-2030.

Continue reading “European Union Disability Policies after 2020: Back to the Future”

Creating this Accessible Blog Site: Taking small steps to making accessibility a reality

Social Technologies

Click here for audio version

Author:  Hilary Hooks, Department of Law, ALL Institute, Maynooth University

Hilary Hooks - profile picture

Earlier this year I was tasked with creating an accessible blogsite for the ALL Institute.  While I welcomed the opportunity to do so, my background and expertise is that of an administrator, with little web accessibility experience.  The process of making this blog site as accessible as possible has been a steep learning curve for me and I would like to share some of my new-found understanding of the issues and accessibility tools. 

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) states that access to “information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems” is a human right (Article 9 CRPD), and, among other things, requires States Parties to the Convention to ensure that websites are accessible to people with disabilities.

Continue reading “Creating this Accessible Blog Site: Taking small steps to making accessibility a reality”
Skip to content