“The goal with this project is to train future generations of scholars to be leadiers in the fields of disability research; human right of people with disabilities, and policy making in Europe and internationally,” says Rannveig Traustadóttir, Professor at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, about the European collaborative project DREAM that she is currently participating in.
DREAM stands for Disability Rights Expanding Accessible Markets and is a training network for young scientists. The European Union allocated almost 600 million Icelandic krona to the project and the University of Iceland’s share is close to 90 million Icelandic krona. The project has been ongoing for the past three years and participants are from University institutes in six countries besides Iceland.
Fourteen doctoral students in Europe have received training in disability research and work on human rights of people with disabilities through this programme; thereof two at the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Iceland.
“The doctoral students all work on different elements defined within DREAM’s research plan. The study as a whole is aimed at implementing and executing a new human rights covenant from the United Nations on the rights of people with disabilities that took effect in 2008,” says Traustadóttir. There are many new factors in international human rights laws in addition to placing new obligations on the nations that sign and confirm the covenant. “All this requires new knowledge and training of a new generation of scholars and innovators who can become leaders in implementing and executing the human rights covenant.”
Traustadóttir says that the DREAM project provides a unique opportunity to be a part of important advancements in the matters of people with disabilities. “The project is linked to key institutions within the European Union and the United Nations and the results will be used on policy making and monitoring within these international organisations with the execution of the human rights covenant. Participation in this project gives the Centre for Disability Studies a unique insight into key subjects on the international scene regarding matters of people with disabilities,” she points out.
The gain is undisputed as there are over 60 million people in Europe with disabilities, according to Traustadóttir. “Research shows that full human rights of this large and varied group is greatly lacking in many places. The DREAM projects aims at ensuring European citizens with disabilities equality and social participation on par with other citizens. Respect for human rights for all has value for the whole community,” concludes Traustadóttir.
