The 13th International Disability Law Summer School (June 2022)

Dr Clíona de Bhailís @ClionadeBhailis

DA: Solidarity, peer support and learning exchange using technology with other grantees meant we were stronger in our work during the COVID 19 pandemic. #13IDSS

Centre for Disability Law and Policy @CDLPGalway

DA: what we've learned: listen to grassroots voice, listen to marginalised voices within the disability community & intersectional groups, shift the power to participatory decision-making - have them at the table, build equal partnerships, document these practices #13IDSS

Keelin Barry @BarryKeelin

Last Panel focuses on 'including people in long-term responses'. #13IDSS #CDLP

Keelin Barry @BarryKeelin

Mahub Kabir,@MahbubKabiri1 CBM Ireland discusses partnerships with DPOs on inclusive climate action as vital. E.g Nepal flash floods caused landslides in Melamchi in 2021. CBM survey PWDs and their families and found 53% of household shelters collapsed. #13IDSS #CDLP

Keelin Barry @BarryKeelin

This survey also found 72% of households with PWDs in the flash floods and landslides in the Melamchi region of Nepal lost agricultural land. Agriculture is a central part of the Nepali economy, increasing economic precarity for PWD's as a result. #13IDSS #CDLPO

Keelin Barry @BarryKeelin

@MahbubKabir1 states climate change exposes the deep inequalities in many countries. Disproportionate impact on poor & marginalised groups, e.g Indigenous groups, ethnic minorities, women, and PWDs. Imperative these marginalised groups are included in Disaster Responses #13IDSS

Keelin Barry @BarryKeelin

Dwi Ariyana @DisabRightsFund presents on conflict and including disabled people in long-term responses. Discusses @DisabRightsFund works to support Disabled Persons Organisations in emergency & humanitarian responses. #13IDSS #CDLP

Centre for Disability Law and Policy @CDLPGalway

And we are back with our final speaker @RebeccaCokley from @FordFoundation #13IDSS

Dr Clíona de Bhailís @ClionadeBhailis

We are back after the coffee break at #13IDSS with @RebeccaCokley the disability rights programme officer @FordFoundation. Rebecca tells us she is wearing a blazer by Cathy Woods the first little person clothing designer.

Centre for Disability Law and Policy @CDLPGalway

RC starts by talking about design, and Dwi's bracelet which was made by disabled women and her blazer which is made by the first little people designer - we always have to find ways to subvert norms. #13IDSS

Centre for Disability Law and Policy @CDLPGalway

RC praises the masking and testing here and says it is important that we make sure we are looking out for ourselves "Non-disabled people are not thinking about us. We are the ones fighting for ourselves in this moment" #13IDSS

Centre for Disability Law and Policy @CDLPGalway

She also talks about disabled people as oracles, and credits @SFdirewolf disabled queen of the internet to this concept #13IDSS

Dr Clíona de Bhailís @ClionadeBhailis

Rebecca starts by sharing that @SFdirewolf always talks about disabled people as oracles. We see what is going to happen before it does. Disabled people saw the issues of removal of infections control standards and protections in nursing homes before the pandemic #13IDSS

Centre for Disability Law and Policy @CDLPGalway

We have our protection and advocacy organisations that can actually help advocate for persons with disabilities to leave nursing homes and congregate settings. but we need to make sure there is a workforce to meet our needs at home #13IDSS

Centre for Disability Law and Policy @CDLPGalway

She talks about the engaged disability community in the US election and that for the first time we had political candidates taking time to develop disability platforms - 15 did from 1 to 42 pages in length. #13IDSS

Dr Clíona de Bhailís @ClionadeBhailis

@SFdirewolf She shares that how the pandemic became serious presidential candidates started writing disability policies. "We ended up having 15 democratic candidates writing disability policy platforms that had centred and listened to the disability community" #13IDSS

Centre for Disability Law and Policy @CDLPGalway

She talks about the gains made - through online activism which included disabled people being included in the debate #13IDSS

Centre for Disability Law and Policy @CDLPGalway

"We had a Supreme Court justice nominated who when he was up for his nomination, it came out that he had ruled that disabled women could be forced to undergo abortions without their consent and against their will. " #13IDSS

Dr Clíona de Bhailís @ClionadeBhailis

@SFdirewolf Candidates held twitter chat, questions about disability issues were raised at events. This monumental gain was as a result of the work of a coalition and uniting of disabled people and other allies among other factors. #13IDSS

Centre for Disability Law and Policy @CDLPGalway

"showed that the disability community, we were not vulnerable. We are strong. And we will hold our leaders accountable for what we expect of them." #13IDSS

Centre for Disability Law and Policy @CDLPGalway

We saw the power of language, where during the fight for the affordable care act, we talked about disabled people as people with pre-existing conditions. We saw the administration switch the language to people with underlying conditions. Underlying sounds sneaky #13IDSS

Dr Clíona de Bhailís @ClionadeBhailis

RC: During the pandemic someone needed to take legal action to prevent their personal ventilator being removed to be given to someone 'more deserving'. #13IDSS

Centre for Disability Law and Policy @CDLPGalway

"We knew disabled people were being denied access to COVID treatments. We continued to see what's happening in Canada right now around the forcing of do not resuscitate orders on disabled people" RC #13IDSS

Centre for Disability Law and Policy @CDLPGalway

We were hopeful with the new Administration but we continue to see no response around COVID for people in congregate settings. I want to be clear, data matters because you count what you care about. And so we saw some response around numbers for nursing homes. #13IDSS

Dr Clíona de Bhailís @ClionadeBhailis

RC: We continue to see no response or data for congregated settings. There was some data on nursing homes but none for other institutions such as jails or mental health facilities. #13IDSS