As part of Glasgow University's "One Glasgow" Equality & Diversity week, a special Caf￩ Scientifique event will take place this evening, Thursday 23 February, examining the role of science in tackling the problem of disability.

The discussion entitled "Should we cure disability?" will take the format of a Caf￩ Scientific forum. Caf￩ Scientifique is a unique forum for discussing important and interesting scientific issues and takes place in informal settings such as cafes, bars and restaurants.

It is estimated that there are 500 million disabled people World-Wide. Despite the fact that pharmaceutical companies, medical charities and Governments spend millions of pounds each year to fund scientific research to try to find cures for impairment, many disabled people reject such an approach. Instead of changing there conditions, they argue that society should be changed to create a social environment where having an impairment is irrelevant.

Professor Nick Watson, Chair of Disability Studies at the University who is talking at the event, comments:

'Throughout history the number of cures to conditions associated with disabled people have been few and far between. Despite this, society still seeks to put all its efforts in biomedical science for solving the problems associated with disability. Obviously, there is a need for such medical research to continue, but we must also recognise that many of the problems faced by disabled people can be solved by relatively simple changes, such as the provision of better access or making information available in a wide range of formats or better funding for assistance.'

Tonight's discussion takes place at 7pm in the University's College Club, and is free of charge to members of the public.

The first Caf￩ Scientifique was established in a Leeds wine bar in 1998 by science programme maker Duncan Dallas, inspired by the caf￩s philosophiques initiated in France by the late Marc Sautet.

Glasgow's very own Caf￩ Scientifique gatherings have been organised by Professor Mandy McLean of the University's Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, and writer and broadcaster Vanessa Collingridge. For more details see: Cafe Scientific.

"One Glasgow" is a stimulating and thought-provoking week of events held at Glasgow University's from 20-25 February. The aim of the week is to celebrate and explore equality and diversity issues across campus with staff, students, and members of the local community. Events include film, discussion and debate, history, comedy, drama, music, theatre, art, food and much more. For more details see: One Glasgow website.

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

For more details please contact the University?s Media Relations Office on 0141 330-3535.

First published: 23 February 2006