A conference has been organised jointly by the Scottish Centre for Research on Social Justice (SCRSJ) at the University of Glasgow and the Strathclyde Centre for Disability Research to mark the European Year for Disabled People. It takes place at The Lighthouse in Glasgow on Friday 14 November 2003.

The conference has attracted a full house from the academic, policy and practitioner communities. It will generate valuable pointers to future research and policy priorities in this area. As such, it provides an excellent opportunity for the University to make a fitting contribution to the European year of Disabled People 2003.

Professor Robina Goodlad, Co-director of SCRSJ said,

"The lack of application of socially just rules in the case of disabled people can leave them disadvantaged.

Fair treatment is traded off by financial constraints or by legal exemptions in everyday settings such as employment and education. Public services are not alone in sometimes failing to give fair treatment to disabled people.

This means that state action is necessary but not sufficient to address the social injustice faced by disabled people. I hope that this conference will discuss these issues and consider their impact in areas such as employment, health and the built environment."

The conference will be chaired by Elaine Noad, Commissioner for Scotland, Disability Rights Commissioner and will include topics such as 'Disabled people and equality: the new approach' and 'Disability, genetics and social justice

Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

For more information, please contact the Press Office on 0141 330 3535 or SCRSJ on 0141 330 2094

The conference takes place on Friday 14 November from 9.30am ? 4.30pm at The Lighthouse, Mitchell Street, Glasgow

Full Programme Details

Programme

9.30 Coffee and registration ? Level 3 Conference Suite Area

10.00 Welcome and introduction : Chair: Ms Elaine Noad, Commissioner for Scotland, Disability Rights Commission

10.15 Mainstreaming equality: implications for disabled people Ms Sally Witcher, Independent Consultant

10.45 Social justice and disabled people: principles and challenges Prof Robina Goodlad (SCRSJ) University of Glasgow and Prof Sheila Riddell, Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh

11.15 Disabled People, Employment and Social Justice Patricia Thornton, Social Policy Research Unit, University of York

11.40 Coffee

12.00 Workshops: Disability, employment and social justice (Chair: Dr Alan Roulstone, University of Sunderland)

Social justice and disabled people (Chair: Prof. Robina Goodlad or Prof. Sheila Riddell)

Disabled people and equality: the new approach (Chair: Mr Bob Benson, Director - Scotland & Mr Adam Gaines, Head of Policy, Disability Rights Commission)

Lunch 13.00 ? 14.00 Level 5 Gallery Area

14.00 Plenary Disability, genetics and global justice Dr Tom Shakespeare, University of Newcastle

No Wheelchairs Beyond This Point: a post-war history of wheelchair access in Britain and America Dr Nick Watson, School of Health, University of Edinburgh and Dr Brian Woods, SATSU, Department of Sociology, University of York

Health, Disability & Social Justice Dr Linda Bauld, Department of Urban Studies, University of Glasgow

15.00 Tea

15.15 Workshops

Disability, genetics and social justice (Chair: Prof J Michael Connor, Medical Genetics, University of Glasgow)

Health, social justice and disability (Chair: Dr Pauline Banks, SCDR, University of Glasgow)

Disabled people, the built environment and social justice (Chair: Mr. Raymond Young OBE, Department of Urban Studies, University of Glasgow)

16.15 Summing up

16.30 Wine reception ? Level 3 Conference Suite Area

First published: 13 November 2003