National Disability Authority Annual Conference 2023: Public and Political Participation of Disabled People

Guaranteeing the equal participation of disabled people in political and public life in Ireland – United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) Article 29

• Date: Thursday, 26 October 2023
• Time: 9:30am – 4.15pm
• Location: Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Road and Online
• Cost: Free of charge. Registration required.

We would like to invite you to our Annual Conference 2023: Public and Political Participation of Disabled People.

This year’s event will take an in-depth view of all the implications of Article 29 of the UNCRPD in Ireland, which focuses on the participation of disabled people in political and public life.

The conference will look at issues around accessible voting, and the public and political representation of disabled people in Ireland. Disabled people, public officials and elected representatives will discuss barriers faced by disabled people and propose solutions. We will look at international practices and present learning from other countries which could inform potential solutions to address the challenges and barriers faced in Ireland.

Speakers confirmed so far include:

• Art O’Leary, Chief Executive, An Coimisiún Toghcháin (The Electoral Commission),
• Cahir Hughes, Head of Electoral Commission Northern Ireland,
• Robbie Sinnott, Voice of Vision Impairment,
• John Dolan, CEO, Disability Federation Ireland (DFI),
• Ivana Bacik, TD, Labour Party.

The conference programme is available on our website and will be updated as more speakers are confirmed.

We encourage all relevant stakeholders to attend, including professionals who are preparing to implement the Electoral Reform Act 2022 and individuals whose lives will be impacted by it, including:

• Disabled Persons Organisations and other disability organisations

• Policy makers
• Public sector officials
• Local authority officials

• Individuals with disabilities and their families

The conference will be a hybrid event, in-person at the Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Road or online via Zoom.

You need to register to attend, but the event is free of charge.

Irish Sign Language interpretation and real-time captioning will be available.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or by phone on 01 608 0400.

We look forward to welcoming you to our Annual Conference 2023!