ACCESS 2.0: Making the Public Policy Case for Disability brings together influential experts and activists in the fields of political philosophy, applied economic research and international human rights advocacy for an in-depth conversation about the need to think and talk about disability differently. ACCESS 2.0 is an invitation to reimagine public policy beyond compliance-obsessed approaches to bringing about greater equality and justice for marginalised segments of society. What does access for people with disabilities look like beyond the built environment? What would it mean to position disability at the centre of public policy discourse, as opposed relating to it as an afterthought? These and other questions will be explored in this timely and necessary conversation.

This dynamic conversation will be moderated by Lama Khaiyat. Lama is a Master of Public Policy student at the Blavatnik School of Government and St. Anne's College, and is from Saudi Arabia. She currently serves as Vice President of Oxford Women in Politics (OxWiP). A former Strategy Consultant in the public sector across the MENA Region, Lama is deeply passionate about the links between disability and economic development.

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The keynote panelists are as follows:

• Professor Jonathan Wolff is the Blavatnik Chair in Public Policy in association with Wolfson College. He was formerly Professor of Philosophy and Dean of Arts and Humanities at UCL. He is a political philosopher who works on questions of equality, disadvantage and social justice. His work in recent years has also turned to applied topics such as public safety, disability, gambling, and the regulation of recreational drugs, which he has discussed in his books Ethics and Public Policy: A Philosophical Inquiry (Routledge 2011) and The Human Right to Health (Norton 2012). Earlier works include Disadvantage (OUP 2007), with Avner de-Shalit; An Introduction to Political Philosophy (OUP, 1996, third edition 2016); Why Read Marx Today? (OUP 2002); and Robert Nozick (Polity 1991). His current work concerns social equality and social exclusion. He is an external member of the Board of Science of the British Medical Association, and a Trustee of the Responsible Gambling Trust, for whom he chairs their research committee. He writes a monthly column on higher education for the Guardian.
• Dr Aaron Reeves is an Associate Professorial Research Fellow in the International Inequalities Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science. A sociologist by training, Dr. Reeves’ research seeks to understand the causes and consequences of social, economic, and cultural inequality across countries. With particular interests in public health, culture and political economy, Dr. Reeves examines inequality through a number of different lenses and using a variety of methods. He has published on the influence of the Great Recession and austerity policies on health in Europe and North America. Prior to joining LSE, Dr. Reeves was Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Sociology at Oxford University.
• Edward (Eddie) Ndopu is an internationally recognised human rights advocate with deep expertise in the area of disability justice. He is also co-founder and intellectual powerhouse of Evolve Initiative, a global social venture start-up that seeks to influence public policy and popular culture by re-positioning disability as a site of innovation and social transformation. Eddie has been named by the Shaw Trust as one of the 50 Most Influential Disabled People in the World. Pacific Standard Magazine also named him one of the World's 30 Top Thinkers Under 30. Eddie is currently a Master of Public Policy student at the Blavatnik School of Government and Somerville College at Oxford University. Prior to Oxford, Eddie worked for Amnesty International where he headed the Africa Youth Engagement Program across the Nairobi, Dakar and Johannesburg Regional Offices. He has been profiled by Al Jazeera, Huffington Post, the World Economic Forum and the United Nations.

This event will be followed by a networking reception.

Accessibility note: Please be advised that the venue, including bathrooms, is completely accessible for people with mobility devices. If you require additional information on accessibility, please contact events@bsg.ox.ac.uk