Let's begin our joint prcess of blogging by considering the role of disability research.
What do you think, is it important that we have spesific disability research, or would it be better to go purely main-stream. Do you think that disability-spesific research really has impact on the daily lives of disabled people? Do you have experiences in participating a research on disability?
We acknowledge the inaccessibility of this form of space particularly for
Ugandan disabled people without necessary preconditions such as internet
access, literacy and transportation. This is already a challenge for us in
our "participatory" research method.
Please, our Ugandan and Finnish (also others:) friends, tell us what you think!
Representation of the Research Team Members
Elina Pirjatanniemi, LL. D., Professor of Constitutional and International Law, Director of the Institute for Human Rights, Åbo Akademi University. Project Leader (Turku, Finland, elina.pirjatanniemi (at) abo.fi)
Martin Scheinin, Dr. Iuris, Professor of Public International Law, European University Institute, Law Department. Project Leader (Florence, Italy, martin.scheinin (at) eui.eu)
Hisayo Katsui, PhD, Senior Researcher: I am a Japanese researcher interested in disability, civil society, human rights and development. The ultimate goal of my research is to contribute to the
equality and equal opportunity of disabled people particularly in the South.
(Helsinki, Finland, katsui (at) mappi.helsinki.fi)
Please visit Hisayo's own web site
Jukka Kumpuvuori, LL. M., Researcher, Doctoral Candidate: I am Finnish researcher and a disability activist. I have a strong interest in the academic field of human right and disability and I have prepared quite several reports in this fields. I am also active in the DPO-world both nationally and internationally and I also have a strong interest in the development cooperation that relates to disabled persons. I am my self a wheelchair user. Everything that relates to human rights and disability...I'm there!
(Turku, Finland, jukka.kumpuvuori (at) abo.fi)
Edson Ngirabakunzi, MA, Researcher, Doctoral Candidate: I am a Ugandan disability activist with high level interest in disability and development issues. I have advocated for the rights of persons with disabilities in Uganda at national and local levels. This has been to ensure that disability needs and concerns become part of the development process in Uganda. I have been in the disability movement for the last 8 years as a key player. I have keen and strong interest in seeing how legislations take care and multiplier effect in the lives of disabled persons. I have participated in policy reviews and evaluations at ministerial levels. I have participated in a number of strategic meetings with line ministries and district local governments raising disability as key issue of concern in the development process. It is my firm conviction that once policies and programmes targeting disabled persons are judiciously followed and implemented then they would greatly contribute to making world a better place to live in and therefore humanity would boast of development for all.
(Kampala, Uganda, ngirabakunziedson (at) yahoo.com)