On 30 November 2023, Professor Delia Ferri was invited to give an opening keynote speech at the ‘Vulnerability, Disability Rights, and Digital Government’ Conference at Tilburg University, The Netherlands. Focusing on ‘Unlocking Access to Culture for Persons with Disabilities through Digital Accessibility’, Professor Ferri discussed the importance of access to culture and specifically the right to access culture for persons with disabilities, existing barriers to accessing culture, the potential of digital technologies and the role of European Union (EU) law in supporting digital accessibility.
The conference brought together scholars and practitioners from the Netherlands and across Europe to discuss the empowerment of vulnerable citizens before digital government. Furthermore, focus was given to how citizens with disabilities experience digital government, which challenges exists and how they can be addressed. Discussions also considered how European policies on disability rights promote accessibility and inclusion and how current legal frameworks can address challenges of digital services.
Professor Delia Ferri’s research and expertise lie primarily in EU Law, Disability Law and Cultural Diversity. She recently combined these research fields in her PI-led research project ‘Protecting the Right to Culture of Persons with Disabilities and Enhancing Cultural Diversity through European Union Law: Exploring New Paths’ (DANCING) which is funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant.
Delia Ferri is Professor of Law at Maynooth University’s School of Law and Criminology as well as co-director of the Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute at Maynooth University.
