How does the global status quo for people with disabilities look like from a human rights perspective? What are the chances and challenges from a human rights perspective? How do we use terms like “disability”, “special needs”, “disabled-, inclusion-, and special needs education” and which impact do they have? Which aims does the UN-Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) strive after? What is the status of implementation of the Convention in the various countries? How can education systems respond accurately to the needs of people/children with disabilities? How does the specific situation for people/children with disabilities look like regarding education, the health care system, the professional life and the cultural and societal participation?

The International Conference on Critical Education, which was held in Athens for first meetings, provides a base for the academics, teachers and intellectuals who are interested in the subject to come together in order to overcome obstacles for public education. Therefore, in the age where education is under siege by neoliberalism and neoconservatism, we invite you to the 3rd International Conference on Critical Education to reflect on the theory and practice of critical education and to contribute to the field.

To this international conference Hedmark University College and the Diverse Teachers for Diverse Learners network invite scholars to share research and critically debate how teacher education should take into account increasing cultural, linguistic and religious diversity among teachers and students.

The 22nd annual conference of the European Access Network (EAN) is organised in collaboration with the Council of Europe. The conference will be held on 2 – 5 June 2013 in Strasbourg, at Council of Europe Headquarters.