The Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University took part in a unique event focused on the political participation of people with disabilities. On April 7th, the Office of the Public Defender of Rights hosted a meeting with Dutch experts and self-advocates with intellectual disabilities, who shared some of the inspiring ways in which people with disabilities can influence public policy. The event was organized in cooperation with FSS, the Public Defender of Rights, and other partners.
The Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University took part in a unique event focused on the political participation of people with disabilities. On April 7th, the Office of the Public Defender of Rights hosted a meeting with Dutch experts and self-advocates with intellectual disabilities, who shared some of the inspiring ways in which people with disabilities can influence public policy. The event was organized in cooperation with FSS, the Public Defender of Rights, and other partners.
The keynote guests were experts and, above all, self-advocates with intellectual disabilities from the Netherlands. They presented local approaches to involving people with disabilities in policymaking at all levels—from local to national. The lecture offered both a general overview of the opportunities for political participation and specific real-world examples shared directly by the self-advocates. Their personal stories of influencing public affairs were insightful and demonstrated that active involvement of people with disabilities is not only possible but essential for building an inclusive and democratic society.
The opening remarks were delivered by Deputy Public Defender JUDr. Vít Alexander Schorm, whose portfolio includes the protection of the rights of people with disabilities. In his address, he emphasized the importance of strengthening the voice of this group and praised the initiative behind the event.
The event was made possible through the collaboration of several key partners: the Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University, the Office of the Public Defender of Rights, Caritas Uherské Hradiště, the Alliance for Individualized Support, and the organization RadoVan. The lecture was part of the project Supporting Civic Participation of People with Intellectual Disabilities, which is funded by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic.
The event "How to Be Heard" offered not only theoretical insights into the issue of political participation of people with disabilities in the Netherlands but above all, it provided inspiring examples from practice and helped raise awareness of the importance of actively involving this group in public life in the Czech Republic as well.
What does a nuclear reactor have in common with a facial recognition camera, a Big Tech algorithm, or a university hiring committee? More than one might expect.
As part of the GACR 2027 call, the Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University submitted a total of 50 project proposals across five grant schemes. The highest level of activity was recorded in the Standard Projects category, where 44 proposals were submitted.