The Irish Times reported about the Nov. 19 conference on genetic discrimination, co-hosted by the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University. Held in Galway, Ireland, “Genetic Discrimination – Transatlantic Perspectives on the Case for a European Level Legal Response” was held in partnership with the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at the National University of Ireland (NUI).
Conference participants discussed the case for legal and policy measures to protect the privacy of genetic information, with the goal of preventing genetic discrimination in employment and insurance contexts. As there is currently no European level regulation of this nature, speakers examined the ethical considerations arising as a result of rapid advancements in genetic science and the potential implications for the inclusion of people with disabilities.
Meera Adya, BBI director of research, presented on “The GINA Act in Context and its Effectiveness so far.” The GINA Act, or Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, provides federal protection from genetic discrimination in health insurance and employment. Other expert panelists included Noel Lowndes, of the Centre for Chromosome Biology at NUI, Galway; Javier Romanach Cabrero, social activist and member of the Independent Living and Diversity Forum; and Marian Harkin, member of the European Parliament.
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