Tag: European Union

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The World Braille Day: Celebrating the Importance of Braille for the Full Realization of Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Social Structures

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Author: Silvia Favalli, Post-doctoral research fellow in International law – University of Pavia (Italy)

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Stock image from: https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-braille-day-2021/

Since 2019, World Braille Day celebrates the significance of Braille as a means of communication and a gateway to realize human rights of persons who are blind or partially sighted. This day commemorates the birthday of its inventor, Louis Braille, born in France in 1809.

Braille is a tactile writing and reading system and consists of the representation of alphabetic and numerical symbols using six dots. The dot patterns are assigned to each letter and number, but they represent musical, mathematical and scientific symbols as well. It also allows users to develop an understanding of the formal structure of language, such as spacing, formatting and grammar.

Braille has been a key tool for persons who are blind or partially sighted to exercise their rights since it was first developed in the XIX century. In particular, Braille is crucial in the context of education, to allow freedom of expression and opinion and, more broadly, to enhance social inclusion, as reflected in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which focuses on inclusive and equitable quality of education and promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all.

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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

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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.

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European Union Disability Policies after 2020: Back to the Future

Social Structures

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

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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.

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European Union Disability Policies after 2020: Back to the Future – Easy to Read Version

Social Structures

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Author: Delia Ferri – Co-Director of the ALL Institute, Department of Law, Maynooth University. EtR Translation Hilary Hooks

Flags flying together at the European Union Building

Ireland is one of a group of countries in Europe called the European Union. 

The European Union works to make Europe better.

A younger man helping an older man

In 2010 The European Union made a plan to promote the rights of people with disabilities.

EDS PLan

This plan is called the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 (EDS).

It was a plan for 10 years.   The plan is now coming to an end.

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It is time to think about what has changed for the better and what the next plan should include.   

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Building a European Health Union

Social Structures

Author: Dr Emma McEvoy, Postdoctoral Researcher, SHAPES Project, ALL Institute, Department of Law, Maynooth University.

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Dr. Emma McEvoy

Less than a year ago, the sudden and somewhat unpredicted outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic across Europe pushed most national health systems to their limits. Healthcare workers faced the brunt of the pandemic, dealing with shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), medical supplies, medicines and coping with Intensive Critical Units (ICU) bed shortages. The European Union (EU) as a whole was not prepared for the Covid-19 outbreak, and neither were any of the Member States. Society and the economy appeared to pause in time to support and allow front-line workers to navigate through the early chaos of the first wave of the pandemic. Many areas of society and the economy have yet to recover and re-start from this initial pause. This is also true of health systems. All EU countries, to some extent, paused or limited normal hospital operations, ranging from postponing routine cancer checks, to cancelling elective surgeries to some hospital day services.

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