Disability-focused Country of Origin Information

This webinar will focus on disability in the context of international protection claims for persons with disabilities and disability-focused country of origin information. We will briefly present Asylos' country report, Nigeria: Children and Young people with disabilities, as well as findings from a rapid review of COI sources.

We will introduce models and understandings of disability, and our Principles for Conducting COI research on Disability and present a review of the legal context for international protection claims for persons with disabilities, and what this means for conducting disability-focused COI. 

Speakers

• David Neale, Legal Researcher, Garden Court Chambers (Chair)
• Maya Pritchard, UK Project Coordinator, Asylos
• Jo Pettitt, Research Consultant, ARC Foundation & Refugee Action
• Jennifer Blair, Senior Legal Protection Adviser, Helen Bamber Foundation & Barrister, No5 chambers

Recording

Speaker Profiles

David Neale, Legal Researcher, Garden Court Chambers (Chair)
David carries out expert legal research in all areas of law, specialising in immigration and asylum law. He was called to the Bar by Inner Temple in October 2013 and completed his pupillage at Garden Court in October 2014. He was a practising barrister from 2014 to 2018 before becoming a Legal Researcher. David is a co-author of the report on disability and asylum law launched by the Helen Bamber Foundation (HBF). 

Jo Pettitt, Research Consultant, ARC Foundation & Refugee Action
Jo is a freelance research consultant with over fifteen years’ experience conducting policy-focused research for non-government organisations in the human rights and migration sectors, including at Freedom from Torture where she was the research lead for 10 years. She is currently working on projects with Refugee Action and the Asylum Research Centre - ARC Foundation.

Maya Pritchard, UK Project Coordinator, Asylos
Maya leads on Asylos' strategic research reports and training for UK lawyers. Maya has been committed to supporting migrant young people and families in the UK since 2008, having worked in advice, support, policy and research and administrative roles across the sector. In addition to her work with Asylos, she has been working at South London Refugee Association since 2013 where she is now the Youth Casework and Policy Manager. She is a Level 2 OISC accredited immigration and asylum adviser, has a BA in politics and an LLM in human rights law.

Jennifer Blair, Senior Legal Protection Adviser, Helen Bamber Foundation & Barrister, No5 Chambers
Jennifer Blair is a co-author of the report on disability and asylum law launched by the Helen Bamber Foundation (HBF), she is a barrister in the legal protection team at HBF and at No5 Chambers; she also provides front line advice for charities and as a lawyer specialises in representing vulnerable clients. Jennifer volunteers with Bail for Immigration Detainees, Liberty, the National Centre of Domestic Violence, the National Autistic Society and the City/Matrix School Exclusions Project among others.