March 2017 New Book by NUI Galway Law Experts Explores UN Rights of Persons with Disabilities

A new book on Disability Law and Policy has been edited by NUI Galway academics Dr Charles O’Mahony, Lecturer in Law and Professor Gerard Quinn, Director of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy. Published by Clarus Press, Disability Law and Policy: An Analysis of the UN Convention undertakes a multidisciplinary examination of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The rights-based perspective on disability is a relatively new lens through which disability law and policy is considered. This is despite the fact that persons with disabilities are often described as the world’s largest minority. There are approximately 1 billion persons with disabilities in the world (15 percent of the world’s population). This book is an edited volume of essays that undertakes a multidisciplinary examination of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Dr Charles O’Mahony said: “The UN Convention requires law and policy reform throughout the world and this book identified what state parties need to do to comply with international human rights law. This is particularly relevant for Ireland being was one of the first states to sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.  However it is now the only EU member state not to have ratified.”

Disability Law and Policy: An Analysis of the UN Convention has evolved from an event entitled 'Global PhD and Researchers Colloquium on Disability Law’ and Policy organised by the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, NUI Galway. The Colloquium was organised in conjunction with the Burton Blatt Institute, University of Syracuse and the University of Haifa, Israel.

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