National Disability Authority Annual Conference 2026

Disability inclusive responses to emergencies – Article 11 UNCRPD

This year, our Annual Conference will consider disability inclusive responses to emergencies in line with Article 11 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). 

Article 11 UNCRPD focuses on situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies. It requires measures to be taken to ensure the safety and protection of disabled during situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies. Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies worldwide can include natural disasters, climate change events, war, pandemics and other crises. 

The conference will be of interest to a wide range of stakeholders, in particular:

  • policy makers
  • public sector officials
  • local authority officials
  • Disabled Persons Organisations and other disability organisations
  • individuals with disabilities and their families
  • those involved in emergency prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

Topics which will be explored as part of the conference include: 

  • barriers faced by disabled people in situations of risk and emergencies, and proposed solutions and good practices to address such challenges
  • the impact of natural disasters and extreme weather events on people with disabilities and measures to address such challenges
  • disability inclusive disaster risk reduction and emergency responses
  • lessons learned from other jurisdictions and previous crises in ensuring respect for Article 11 UNCRPD.
  • Speakers and panellists at the conference will include disabled people and their representative organisations, public officials and academics.

The conference will take place on Thursday, 15 October, and will be a blended in-person and online event, with the physical venue at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin.

Please note that registration details will be made available at a later date. If you would like to receive updates on our annual conference, please email us at nda.annualconference@nda.ie.

You can read about our previous Annual Conferences on our website.