Irish Sign Language Version
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)
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 5th 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’.
Continue reading “September 15th, United Nations International Day of Democracy: Enjoyment of Democratic Values and Freedoms by Persons with Disabilities”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)
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.
Continue reading “Ageism and Ableism: The Intersectional Discrimination Faced by Older Adults with Disabilities”Cost of Assistive Technology as a Barrier to Inclusion Through Sport
Social Structures
Author: Dr. Emma M. Smith, Postdoctoral Researcher, AT2030, ALL Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University
This week, like many of our colleagues who work in the areas of disability and inclusion, we are anticipating the start of the Paralympic Games. Aligned with this, we are also celebrating the launch of #WeThe15, a global campaign to promote inclusion of persons with disabilities through engagement in sport. Participation in culture, including sport, is enshrined in Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We also have research which supports the concept that sports promote health and wellbeing through social inclusion, access to the community, and opportunities for physical activity.
Continue reading “Cost of Assistive Technology as a Barrier to Inclusion Through Sport”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)
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”.
Continue reading “Adaptive Fashion: An Instrument to Enhance Independent Living and Self-Confidence of Persons with Physical Disabilities”No More Stolen Sisters
Social Structures
Authors: Gerard Maguire – Nottingham Trent University, DSA Ireland & Katie Donnellan – Maynooth University
The 2021 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples will focus on the theme “Leaving no one behind: Indigenous peoples and the call for a new social contract” and takes place on the 9th of August. Various groups and peoples are redesigning a new social contract that serves the interest of “We, the peoples”, as per the preamble of the United Nations Charter. However, it appears that in certain instances, there are some people being left behind. The plight of Indigenous Women in the United States (US) and Canada is one that receives little attention or media spotlight. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) is a human-rights crisis that disproportionately affects Indigenous Peoples in the US and Canada.
Continue reading “No More Stolen Sisters”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)
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 8th 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
Continue reading “A Matter of Trust: Accepting Artificial Intelligence and Robotics-Aided Care to Enhance Independent Living for Persons with Disabilities”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.
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.
Continue reading “World Youth Skills Day – Reimagining Youth Skills Post-Pandemic”Protecting and Promoting Legal Capacity of Persons with Disabilities: Disentangling the Relationship between the CRPD and International Private Law in the Italian Legal System
Social Structures
Author: Francesca Albi, J.D. Candidate – Università degli Studi di Verona (Italy)
Persons with disabilities represent human diversity and their inherent dignity must be recognised. In legal terms, the protection of human dignity is linked to the recognition and respect of the right to legal capacity, which is established by Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). According to this provision, persons with disabilities have the right to legally act on an equal basis with others. Even though they may need support and reasonable accommodations, disability cannot be used to justify the denial of the right of persons with disabilities to make their own choices concerning their lives. To this aim, supported (and not substituted) decision-making mechanisms must be provided to help them in decision-making processes.
Since international mobility of adults (including those with disabilities) is an increasing phenomenon in the contemporary globalized world, international human rights instruments acquire special relevance regarding the exercise of civil rights in transnational situations. In that connection private international law, which has been defined as ‘the body of conventions, model laws, national laws, legal guides, and other documents and instruments that regulate private relationships across national borders’, must be read in conjunction with international human rights norms. To this end, legal scholars (Franzina, 2012; Franzina, 2015; Franzina and Long, 2016, 106-177; Franzina, 2019; Long, 2013) who investigate the transnational protection of the rights of adults with disabilities speak of “integral approach” to identify the mutual influence of international human rights and private international law.
Continue reading “Protecting and Promoting Legal Capacity of Persons with Disabilities: Disentangling the Relationship between the CRPD and International Private Law in the Italian Legal System”Day of the Seafarer
Social Structures
Author: Joanne McVeigh, Lecturer at the Department of Psychology and the ALL (Assisting Living & Learning) Institute, Maynooth University
June 25th marks the Day of the Seafarer, an international campaign aiming to increase governments’ support for seafarers during the pandemic, but to also more broadly ensure fair treatment and equitable employment conditions for seafarers. We often fail to appreciate our reliance on the world’s 1,647,500 merchant seafarers for the effective functioning of the global economy. However, international trade is underpinned by maritime transport, whereby approximately 80% of the volume of global trade and 70% of the value of global trade are transported by sea. In the book Ninety Percent of Everything: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry that Puts Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car, and Food on Your Plate, British author Rose George questioned: “Who looks behind a television now and sees the ship that brought it? Who cares about the men who steered your breakfast cereal through winter storms? How ironic that the more ships have grown in size and consequence, the less space they take up in our imagination” (p. 2). Indeed, the importance of merchant shipping was brought into sharp focus by a container ship obstructing the Suez Canal in Egypt, through which more than 50 ships pass daily, constituting approximately 12% of world trade.
Continue reading “Day of the Seafarer”15th June 2021, United Nations World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Fostering Accessible Assistive Technology for Older Persons with Disabilities
Social Structures
Author: Matthew McKenna, PhD Researcher at Maynooth University’s Assisting Living and Learning Institute (ALL Institute)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Department of Data and Analytics published a technical report in December of 2020 yielding data which highlights the need for increased global awareness of the importance of healthy ageing in the twenty-first century. The report found that global life expectancy increased by more than six years between 2000 and 2019; from 66.8 years in 2000 to 73.4 years in 2019. However, it was found that increased life expectancy did not entail a corresponding reduction in the number of years lived with a disability among older persons. In addition, the United Nations (UN) Department of Economic and Social Affairs estimates a 56 percent global increase, from 901 million to 1.4 billion, in the number of people aged 60 years or over in the 2015-2030 timeframe; this figure is predicted to rise to almost 2.1 billion by 2050 based on current data.
Human society must adapt to support and engage with older persons so that nobody is left behind in an older society. In that regard, the promotion of active, healthy, engaged and independent living for older persons above the age of 65 is key.
Continue reading “15th June 2021, United Nations World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Fostering Accessible Assistive Technology for Older Persons with Disabilities”ALL Institute and the new HSE Digital Health Transformation Masters.
Social Structures
Authors: David Prendergast: Professor in the Department of Anthropology, Trevor Vaugh: PI at Mi:Lab, The Maynooth Innovation Lab and Assistant Professor in Department of Design Innovation, Linzi Ryan: Assistant Professor in Department of Design Innovation, Mac Maclachlan: Professor of Psychology and Social Inclusion, and Co-director of the ALL Institute
MSc in Digital Health Transformation.
On Wednesday 4th September 2019, the inaugural Health Service Executive ‘Digital Academy Forum’ was held at Dr Steeven’s Hospital in Dublin. During this meeting, Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer for the HSE announced plans for an ambitious and experimental Masters in Digital Health Transformation to help build digital skills and train future leaders in health service innovation. Co-designed between the HSE and several Irish Universities, including Maynooth, Limerick, UCD, DCU NUI Galway and University College Cork, the new degree runs over 18 months and is open to HSE employees and the General Public.
In the first semester of the degree, students completed five modules on topics ranging from eHealth Systems and Standards, Health Information Modelling and Governance, Research Methods and Digital Health Service Transformation. In the second semester, topics such as Digital Health Change Management, Clinical Decision-Making, Data Science and AI in Healthcare were covered, along with a design innovation module on Digital Health and Wellbeing in the Community run by the Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute at Maynooth University. Building on these modules, students were expected to work on a substantial project designing, developing and deploying a digital solution within the Irish Healthcare system.
Continue reading “ALL Institute and the new HSE Digital Health Transformation Masters.”Celebrating the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development: A Contribution from the ReCreating Europe Project at Maynooth University
Social Structures
Author: Dr Laura Serra. Postdoctoral researcher ReCreating Europe, ALL Institute – Department of Law, Maynooth University
Today, 21st of May is the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. This is a date that we would like to mark within the remit of the ReCreating Europe project, funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 Programme, by raising awareness about cultural diversity. We also wish to take this opportunity to highlight how the project aims to contribute to foster cultural diversity.
According to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which was adopted in 2005 and swiftly ratified by several States around the globe, cultural diversity “refers to the manifold ways in which the cultures of groups and societies find expression”, and “these expressions are passed on within and among groups and societies”. Furthermore, cultural diversity “is made manifest not only through the varied ways in which the cultural heritage of humanity is expressed, augmented and transmitted through the variety of cultural expressions, but also through diverse modes of artistic creation, production, dissemination, distribution and enjoyment, whatever the means and technologies used”.
Continue reading “Celebrating the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development: A Contribution from the ReCreating Europe Project at Maynooth University”Towards an Inclusive Creativity: reCreating Europe for World Intellectual Property Day 2021
Authors: Giulia Priora – Postdoctoral researcher, Institute of Law Politics and Development, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies Pis, Caterina Sganga – Associate Professor, Institute of Law Politics and Development, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies Pisa, Arianna Martinelli – Associate Professor, Institute of Economics, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa
Social Structures
Today more than ever, digital technologies are revolutionizing the ways we express our creativity, access culture, information, and knowledge. Technology and, in particular, the Internet have the potential to bring an unprecedented democratization of our practices related to both the production and consumption of music, literature, news, movies, and so many other intellectual and artistic works. However, the reality still presents considerable uncertainties and profound inequalities: among the main obstacles to a sound democratization of creative and cultural processes are the complexity and obsolescence of laws and norms involved, the lack of awareness thereof, and a growing digital divide.
Copyright law is a fundamental building block in this shift towards digital creativity and digital access to culture. By protecting the creators’ exclusive rights to exploit their works and regulating the limits of such protection, copyright law essentially aims at striking a balance between the safeguard of creators and investors, on the one side, and end-users’ interests, on the other. The discipline boasts a long-standing European history, having started interacting and regulating the “offline” creative world over three centuries ago. The entry into the scene of digital technologies represents a significant disruption in the EU and national copyright legal frameworks as well as an opportunity to modernize the law.
Continue reading “Towards an Inclusive Creativity: reCreating Europe for World Intellectual Property Day 2021”Tragedy and Endeavour: Society and Disability in the Post-Modern Era
Social Structures
Author: Matthew McKenna, PhD Researcher at Maynooth University’s Assisted Living and Learning Institute (ALL Institute)
On March 24th, we celebrate the United Nations International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. This day honours the memory of victims of gross and systematic human rights violations and promotes the right to truth and justice. In this context, it reminds us of historical and contemporary violations of the rights of persons with disabilities who, in many regions, still experience institutionalization, forced treatments and conditions amounting to torture. This piece briefly discusses the post-modern chronology of suffering endured by persons with disabilities in the struggle for equal treatment and recognition. It emphasises the importance of remembering victims of the past by advancing the struggle for full-spectrum equality for persons with disabilities in the modern world.
Continue reading “Tragedy and Endeavour: Society and Disability in the Post-Modern Era”Disability and urban accessibility in cities: how can we improve?
Author: Nicola Posteraro, Qualified Italian Lawyer, Post-Doctoral Research fellow in Administrative Law, University of Milan, Qualified as Associate Professor of Administrative Law
Social Structures
According to data compiled by the National Association of Workers with health conditions or impairments (ANMIL), there are cities in Italy where people with disabilities can live their life and exercise their free movement right on an equal basis with others, and other cities that are still very hostile. Accessibility interventions, when undertaken, are often inadequate. This is due to the lack or limitation of public funding available, and to the regulatory fragmentation, which certainly does not help those who have to apply the legal provisions on accessibility. Not all residents are able to have equal access to the services of the city, to participate in municipal decision-making processes and to benefit from the economic growth of the city. This is a problem that negatively impacts on the fundamental right to health of people with disabilities: in fact, being able to access places and public facilities allows mobility and amplifies the network of social relations. While the data above concerns Italy, a similar situation can be found in many other countries.
Continue reading “Disability and urban accessibility in cities: how can we improve?”Lá Idirnáisiúnta na Máthairtheangacha agus an tOideachas sa Mháthairtheanga
Audio Version
International Mother Language Day and Mother Language Education
Social Structures
Click here for Irish Language Audio Version
Authors: Dr Noelle Higgins is an Associate Professor in Law at Maynooth University and Dr Dorothy Ní Uigín is Riarthóir Theagasc na Gaeilge in Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge at NUI Galway
The 21st of February is International Mother Language Day, with the theme of this year’s celebration being ‘Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society’. This celebration of languages was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1999, and has been celebrated every year globally since 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. Its establishment has since been heralded by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, which, in Resolution 56/262 of 2002, welcomed UNESCO’s initiative, and called ‘upon Member States and the Secretariat to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world.’ This year’s theme emphasises the role of language as a means of societal inclusion and underlines the importance of education in one’s Mother Tongue.
Continue reading “International Mother Language Day and Mother Language Education”ALL’s Contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Social Structures
Authors: Kimberly Wright, Postgraduate LLM student Global Legal Studies & Anastasia Campbell, Administrative Lead, ALL Institute
On the 20th of February, the United Nations World Day of Social Justice gives the world an opportunity to celebrate peace, social inclusion, and respect for human rights. Those values are at the core of the United Nations (UN) action, and, in particular, of the Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), which were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. The UN SDGs consist of a total of 17 universal goals adopted by all 193 UN member states aimed at improving and ensuring a sustainable future for all. These goals include poverty, inequality, climate change, peace and justice among various other causes for concern. The Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute’s mission is to ensure that all people around the world, particularly those who have been subject to marginalisation, achieve a good quality of life and full participation in society through the use of appropriate technologies and evidence-based policies and laws. Our research is dedicated to promoting human rights-based and person-centred systems to empower people and enhance social inclusion and involvement.
Continue reading “ALL’s Contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals”International Holocaust Remembrance Day: An occasion to look at the international prohibition of genocide
Social Structures
Author: Niccolò Zugliani, Doctoral Candidate at the Law Department of the University of Verona (Italy)
Copyright Musealia
The International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust is a yearly reminder of the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazi regime during World War II. It is also an occasion to pay heed to the existence, even at present times, of potential cases of genocide, despite the international commitments to prevent it and to punish its perpetrators. As such, it offers the opportunity to reflect on the hurdles faced by international criminal justice when confronted with this international crime, and on some avenues recently pursued to avoid impunity.
Continue reading “International Holocaust Remembrance Day: An occasion to look at the international prohibition of genocide”