Cardiff Law lecturer speaks up for carers at Hay Festival talk

A Cardiff Law School lecturer recently took to the stage at one of the world's most important literature & arts events. Professor Luke Clements who specialises in public and human rights proceedings on behalf of socially excluded groups spoke at the Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye, Powys on Thursday 28 May 2015.

Professor Clements, together with filmmaker Anne Cottringer, was invited to speak about the similarities between today's developing 'carers rights movement' and the 'disabled people's rights movement' that began in the 1970s. The talk which was entitled, "Does your carer take sugar?" referred to a BBC radio programme on disabilities which was aired 35 years ago called "Does he take sugar?" Professor Clements explained that just as we have constructed environments based on the needs of non-disabled people (thereby handicapping those with disabilities) so too have we created environments based on a mythology that everyone is independent. This subsequently handicaps those who care for ill, disabled, elderly or young people.

Professor Clements is working with Anne Cottringer to highlight these issues in a film which is being produced for the 50th Anniversary of the Global Carers Movement which originated in the UK in 1965 with the pioneering work of Mary Webster.

After his Hay talk Luke Clements, who is the Cerebra Professor of Law and Director of the Law School's Centre for Health and Social Care Law, said, "It is tremendous that we have been asked to talk about our research and to premier clips from our film being produced for the Centre for Health and Social Care law to highlight this year's 50th Anniversary of the Global Carers movement."