Keynote Speakers for "IYDP+20" Announced
By Helen Meekosha (H.Meekosha@unsw.edu.au)
 

Disability with Attitude: Critical Issues 20 Years After IYDP to be held in Sydney on 16-17 February 2001

Keynote speakers confirmed

Dr. Tom Shakespeare, Research Development Officer, Genetics Policy & Ethics
Research Institute, University of Newcastle, UK;
Professor Adrienne Asch, Henry R. Luce Professor in Biology, Ethics & the
Politics of Human Reproduction at Wellesley College, Massachusetts;
Phillip French, Executive Officer, People With Disabilities (New South Wales);and
Helen Meekosha, Social Work, University of New South Wales and Vice
President, Women With Disabilities Australia
 

Background

Since IYDP (International Year of the Disabled Person) in 1981, people with disabilities have been pressuring governments to address discrimination and enhance their wider social participation, self determination and personal autonomy. Issues of rights, recognition and resources have been central to these struggles. This conference offers a forum for assessing progress 20 years after IYDP, celebrating achievements and examining critical issues facing Australian society over the next two decades. It also provides an opportunity for participants to engage in a critical audit of Australia's record on disability issues, and to do so within an international framework. Major themes to be addressed involve identity, gender, participation, representation, sexuality, violence and abuse, and the relationship between the disability movement and academic scholarship.

Those who submitted abstracts for the conference will be notified by July 30, 2000. Full papers need to be submitted by October 31, 2000 and should not exceed 3000 words (excluding references) This is in order for papers to be subjected to peer review and collated in a volume of published proceedings. These will be available at the conference in accessible formats. Conference presentations will be limited to 20 minutes.

*Please note that pending funding, support will be available to assist with the costs of attendance by people with disabilities within Australia.

Enquires should be addressed to Ann McCutcheon.
Social Relations of Disability Research Network,
C/O School of Social Work, Rm 1528, Matthews Building,
University of New South Wales
Sydney, 2052 Australia

Email: McCutcheon@unsw.edu.au
Tel +61 (2) 9385 1870
fax +61 (2) 9662 8991

Organized by
Disability Research Network, People with Disabilities of New South Wales, Women with Disabilities Australia, and Access Plus

Sponsored by the University of New South Wales, The University of Technology, Sydney and The University of Western Sydney