supporting inclusion, challenging exclusion
news from 2007
March
new disability convention
30 March 2007
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities opened for signatures on 30 March. This Human Rights Treaty acknowledges the rights of disabled people around the world in all areas of life; article 24 covers education and stipulates a state education system that is inclusive at all levels. On the day it opened for signatures, 81 member states and the European Community signed the convention, the highest number of signatures of any human rights convention on its opening day. The Convention was negotiated during eight sessions of an Ad Hoc Committee of the General Assembly between 2002 and 2006, making it the fastest negotiated human rights treaty. Find out more about CSIE's involvement in drafting this UN Convention and read the Inclusion UK press release (PDF 1.67Mb).
July
internal changes
1 July 2007
At the end of March CSIE bid a fond farewell to Linda Shaw, co-director of the Centre for twenty years. At the end of June Mark Vaughan, OBE, co-director and founder of CSIE in 1982, also left to devote his full attention to the Educational Change Consultancy. Artemi Sakellariadis, who joined the Centre in March this year, took over from the two co-directors and has been heading up CSIE as of 1 July.
October
new commission
1 October 2007
A new all-embracing body for equality and human rights in the UK came into being on 1 October 2007. The Equality and Human Rights Commission as it indicates on its homepage “champions equality and human rights for all, working to eliminate discrimination, reduce inequality, protect human rights and to build good relations, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to participate in society.” It replaces the Commission for Racial Equality, the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission.
November
Inclusion UK launch event
20 November 2007
CSIE has joined forces with the three lead organisations at the heart of promoting inclusive education for disabled learners: the Alliance for Inclusive Education, Disability Equality in Education and Parents for Inclusion. Together we have formed a new consortium, Inclusion UK, in order to provide a stronger, collective voice to promote inclusive education for disabled young people. Inclusion UK recently produced an information leaflet and poster on Article 24 (Education) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and launched this at an event in London on International Children’s Rights Day, 20 November. Inclusion UK has since distributed this leaflet to all schools in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
To download a free copy of the leaflet please visit our free publications page. More information on this event will soon be available on www.inclusion.org.uk.