Head: Prof. Amita Dhanda
The Centre was established as an initiative to trigger thought processes on the interplay between the legal order and disabilities. It is a congregation of legal minds who are especially focussing on how the power of law can be used to challenge the stereotypes and prejudices towards persons with disabilities. The members of the Centre are through the medium of writing and research, teaching and training, dialogue, discussions and consultations attempting to create an empowering legal discourse on disability rights and the full social participation of persons with disabilities. As a part of this effort to generate conversations, the Centre has often undertaken the task of initiating students into disability studies, through its strong internship programme, which is heavily subscribed by students from both within the country and outside.
Invested heavily in law and policy reform, the Centre was the legal consultant to the committee constituted to redraft Indian law on the rights of persons with disabilities, in conformity with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD). It also undertook to draft India’s first country report to the UN CRPD Treaty Body.
The Centre is in active collaboration with the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, National University of Ireland, Galway and the Centre on Human Policy, Law and Disability Studies, Syracuse University. As a part of this collaboration, NALSAR hosted a policy encounter between India and Ireland on legal capacity, in January 2014.
The Centre’s website can be accessed here.