Adjunct Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science at Oslo and Akershus University College, G. Anthony Giannoumis, will give a guest lecture to students on 21 November, entitled:
A Revaluation of the Cultural Dimension of Disability Policy in the European Union: The Impact of Digitisation and Web Accessibility
Reflecting the commitments undertaken by the EU through the conclusion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the European Disability Strategy 2010–2020 not only gives a prominent position to accessibility, broadly interpreted, but also suggests an examination of the obligations for access to cultural goods and services. The European Disability Strategy 2010–2020 expressly acknowledges that EU action will support national activities to make sports, leisure, cultural and recreational organisations and activities accessible, and use the possibilities for copyright exceptions in the Directive 2001/29/EC (Infosoc Directive).
This article discusses to what extent the EU has realised the principle of accessibility and the right to access cultural goods and services envisaged in the UNCRPD. Previous research has yet to explore how web accessibility and digitisation interact with the cultural dimension of disability policy in the European Union. This examination attempts to fill this gap by discussing to what extent the European Union has put this cultural dimension into effect and how web accessibility policies and the digitisation of cultural materials influence these efforts.
The lecture will take place at 1pm in John Hume Lecture Theatre 2.
G. Anthony Giannoumis is a graduate of the Temple University College of Health's Master of Public Health. He was awarded a Marie Curie Fellowship with the Norwegian Social Research Institute (NOVA). Giannoumis received his B.S. in business from Shepherd University.