The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, is convening a conference whose theme is ‘Climate Change and Disability in Africa: A Human Rights Response.’ The aim of the conference is two-fold: 1) to critically appraise laws, policies, practices, programmes, polities and ideologies that relate to the rights of persons with disabilities in Africa, in the context of climate change and 2) to suggest remedial responses (domestically, regionally and globally) to address violations of the rights of persons with disabilities in climate crises. The conference will be held in hybrid format from 20 – 21 November 2023. It is anticipated that papers presented at this conference will be reworked by authors and submitted for consideration for publication in the 2024 volume of the African Disability Rights Yearbook. www.adry.up.ac.za 

Download call for abstracts

Background

From cyclones and floods, to unpredictable weather patterns and droughts, climate change is devastating the African continent. As the effects of climate change become a reality around the globe, including in Africa, many countries have begun to put measures in place to combat climate change and its adverse effects. However, many of these measures have excluded marginalised populations, such as persons with disabilities. In order to be effective, measures seeking to address the effects of climate change must be inclusive and take into account the impact of climate change on the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by marginalised populations, such as persons with disabilities. Although persons with disabilities make up 15% of the world’s population, there is little data on the impact of climate change on their enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly in the African region. 

Relying on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa, the conference will address the impact of climate change on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities in Africa. 

Participants 

The conference seeks to bring together stakeholders interested in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of climate change in Africa,  including persons with disabilities, scholars, social scientists, policymakers, lawyers, environmental activists, and human rights defenders. 

Possible topics to consider

Possible topics to consider include but are not limited to the following: 

• The effects of climate change in Africa 
• The impact of climate change on persons with disabilities 
• The impact of climate change on persons with albinism 
• Factors that influence the capacity of persons with disabilities to cope with the effects of climate change 
• The role of persons with disabilities in mitigating the impact of climate change 
• Disability-inclusive climate initiatives and programmes 
• The role of government in enacting disability-inclusive programmes and policies 
• The role of civil society in ensuring disability-inclusive responses to climate change 
• The legislative and policy framework for enacting disability inclusive responses to climate change in Africa 
• The impact of climate change on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities in Africa 
• Intersectionalities 
• Multi-sectoral approaches to mitigate the impact of climate change on persons with disabilities 
• Climate litigation 

As part of underscoring the importance of multi-sectoral responses and partnerships in the production of knowledge, we particularly encourage joint abstracts between scholars, policymakers and persons with disabilities together with their representative organisations. 

Submission specifications 

A committee will review abstracts that are written in English, are 300-350 words in length and in MS Word format (not PDF). 

Abstracts must include in a single document: 

1. Title of abstract 
2. Author’s name 
3. Affiliation 
4. Qualifications 
5. E-mail address 

Abstracts must be sent by email to Sabeeha Majid at the following email address: sabeeha.majid@up.ac.za

Submission deadline for Abstracts: 11 August 2023 
Authors will be notified by 25 August 2023 whether their abstract has been accepted for presentation at the Annual Disability Rights in Africa Conference (20 – 21 November 2023). 

Submission deadline for Presentations: 31 October 2023 
Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be required to submit their full presentations by 31 October 2023. All queries should be directed to sabeeha.majid@up.ac.za