Colin Low, Baron Low of Dalston
Colin Mackenzie Low, Baron Low of Dalston , CBE (born September 23, 1942 in Edinburgh ) is a British politician , life peer , lawyer and university professor .
life and career
Colin Low, born with an eye condition, has been completely blind since the age of three. He attended Worcester College for the Blind , a school owned by the Royal National Institute for the Blind, in Worcestershire . He studied law at Cambridge University and at Queen's College of Oxford University . There he obtained a diploma in criminology . From 1968 to 1984 he was a lecturer in criminal law and criminology at the University of Leeds .
In 1984 he became director of the Disability Resource Team in London , an organization that provides advice, assistance and support for people with disabilities . He held this office until 1994. From 1994 to 2000 Low was a Senior Research Fellow at City University London , where he scientifically investigated and researched theories about disability. In 2000 he became Chairman of the Royal National Institute for the Blind. In 2003 he became President of the European Blind Union ; there he had already worked on various committees since 1996.
Low held numerous other offices in various organizations and associations. From 1996 to 2000 he was a member of the National Disability Council. From 1997 to 1999 he was a member of the Disability Taskforce. From 2000 to 2002 he was the Disability Rights Commissioner .
Since 2008 he has been President of Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities, an organization that advises students with disabilities on choosing a place to study and supports them in finding internship opportunities, trainee programs and entering the labor market. Since 2009, he has also been President of the UK Association for Accessible Formats (UKAAF), an organization that promotes, produces, produces and standardises standards for disabled people’s access to information sources, particularly audio, Braille and electronic media.
Membership in the House of Lords
Low was named a Life Peer as Baron Low of Dalston , of Dalston in the London Borough of Hackney in May 2006 . He is a crossbencher in the House of Lords . He was one of seven new, non-partisan peers. The House of Lords Appointments Commission had proposed Low because of his social work as President of the Royal National Institute for the Blind and as President of the European Blind Union, as well as his longstanding commitment to the rights of people with disabilities. He was officially inducted into office on July 11, 2006 with the assistance of Mary Warnock, Baroness Warnock , and Alf Morris, Baron Morris of Manchester . He gave his inaugural address on November 21, 2006. In this speech, Low advocated the rights and interests of blind people. It is his political goal in the House of Lords to work for the improvement of job opportunities and the integration of blind people in society. He emphasized the commonality of blind people with other disabled people and expressed his hope that, as a blind person, he would be able to contribute something to the diversity of the House of Lords with regard to its composition.
In addition to dealing with disability issues, he also states that his political interests are secondary education , the promotion of art and music , broadcasting matters , criminal law and criminal prosecution. Countries of interest to him are: the United States , Australia and South Africa .
In the House of Lords, Low campaigned for the legal and social equality of people with disabilities, especially for the rights of the blind. In connection with the now adopted in the UK integrated Equality Act ( Equality Bill 2010 ) criticized low that the law still bein consider points that give at disabled people cause for concern, in particular the introduction and legal authorization of a qualification system, the disabled disadvantage. Low welcomed the law as a whole, but together with Jane Campbell, Baroness Campbell of Surbiton and Rosalie Wilkins, Baroness Wilkins warned that the Equality Bill should not restrict the legal protection of the disabled so far granted by the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
Honors
In 1984 Low received the Snowdon Award . In 2000 he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire . He has been an Honorable Fellow of Queen's College Oxford since 2008 .
Private
In 1969 he married Jill Irene Coton, with whom he has two children, a son and a daughter. In his private life he is a lover of music and good, high-quality wines .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d The Rt Hon the Lord Low of Dalston, CBE ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Vita at Debretts (available online)
- ↑ Colin Low - Lord Low of Dalston, CBE biography on the UKAAF official website
- ↑ MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS minutes of the House of Lords on 11 July 2006
- ↑ Lord Low of Dalston's Maiden Speech in: Braille Monitor , February 2007
- ↑ Lord Low of Dalston biography on the House of Lords page
- ↑ Disabled Peers Ready For Fight On Equality Bill ( Memento of the original from April 11, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Disability News Service dated December 16, 2009
- ^ Professor Colin Mackenzie Low, Baron Low of Dalston on thepeerage.com , accessed August 18, 2015.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Low, Colin, Baron Low of Dalston |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Low, Colin Mackenzie, Baron Low of Dalston |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British politician, life peer, university professor and lawyer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 23, 1942 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Edinburgh |