In December 2018, in cooperation with the East-Lake Institute for Social Advancement (EISA), a Conference on Multi-disciplinary Research of Disability Policy in China was held in Wuhan. The theme of the conference is “Ten Years that Changed the World and Us by CRPD” in response to the 10th anniversary of the CRPD entry into force, to review the worldwide development of disability policies and practices in China and shed light on the multi-disciplinary research on disability policy and rights protection in China, including an intersectional perspective. A keynote speech on “Ten Years that Changed the World and Us” was given by Gerard Quinn, Raoul Wallenberg Visiting Chair of Human Rights and Humanitarian law.
The conference aimed at strengthening the research-based advocacy on disability policy amongst academia, disabled people’s organizations, practitioners and researchers from the disability communities, and government institutions from diverse disciplinary, and promote the institutionalized dialogue between researchers, policy makers, and practitioners who have dedicated themselves to disability rights. It continued to focus on international and regional exchange and further support to a serial publication of Disability Rights Studies in China. The conference also encouraged participants incorporating gender perspective into their disability policy research. Papers with a gender perspective are prioritised in the publication of Disability Rights Studies in China.
The conference brought together about 50 participants representing academia, government institutions and disability organisations from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and the United Sates presented at the conference. In order to make the conference as accessible as possible for, so that participants with disabilities can participate fully, the conference provided sign language interpretation and having all presentations and conversations typed out on a big screen in front of the meeting room simultaneously. This conference was well received by most participants and was deemed as a useful platform for interactions and experience sharing amongst disability researchers with different background.