Active Citizenship and Disability

Andrew Power is a Lecturer in Geography and Environment at the University of Southampton in the UK. He previously worked as a Researcher at the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, National University of Ireland, Galway, where he undertook the fieldwork for this study. His research interests in the field of disability law include independent living, supported decision making and family caregiver policy. Previous research work has included an ESRC postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute for Health Research at the University of Lancaster. At Southampton, he currently researches and teaches across a range of areas including social justice, welfare and rights. Janet E. Lord is a Senior Partner and former Director of Human Rights and Inclusive Development at BlueLaw International LLP, a veteran-owned international law and development firm. An expert in human rights treaty negotiations, she participated in all of the negotiations for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, serving as legal adviser to several lead governments, expert to the UN and legal advocacy adviser to Disabled Peoples' International. She is also Senior Research Associate at Harvard Law School Project on Disability and Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. Allison S. deFranco is Director of Human Rights and Inclusive Development at BlueLaw International LLP. She brings expertise in international education law and policy, disability law and policy, and disability inclusive development programming. DeFranco has worked with major donors and implementing organisations such as the National Council on Disability, Disability Rights International, Disabled Peoples' International and the Harvard Law School Project on Disability, to design and implement disability inclusive democracy and governance, public health and education programmes throughout the world.