Anna Lawson, UK’s first blind female professor of law, has been honoured for her work promoting equal rights for people with disabilities.
Accepting the award, Professor Lawson, who is the Director of Leeds University’s Centre for disability Studies, spoke movingly about her own experience of disability discrimination and her work to promote equal law reform on disability.
Over 100 guests, including equality activists, lawyers, academics and students attended the Bob Hepple Equality Award event at the offices of Dechert, the law firm, in London last Thursday evening. The event, which featured a drinks reception and a buffet dinner, was organised by the Equal Rights Trust in partnership with the Industrial Law Society. Guests were welcomed by lawyer Saphieh Ashtiany, Chair of trustees of the Equal Rights Trust, which works with around 40 countries globally.
Last year’s joint winners of the Bob Hepple Equality Award were Pragna Patel, Director of Southall Black Sisters, and Mauro Cabral, Co-Director of Global Action for Trans Equality, or GATE.
