March 20, 2017
Montserrat Pereña Vicente, professor of law and senior researcher at King Juan Carlos University in Madrid, Spain, has been appointed a Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) Senior International Fellow. Professor Perena is also director of the Research Centre on Persons Law and Patrimony Law, where her studies focus on the rights of people with disabilities and the impact of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on legislation and legal practice of countries in continental Europe, South America, and Cuba.
The BBI Senior International Fellows program is for outstanding participants to collaborate with BBI researchers and to foster the interdisciplinary study and application of disability law and policy as it relates to the advancement of the social and economic independence of people with disabilities. “We are extremely honored to have Professor Perena join us at BBI to participate in seminars, writing opportunities, and research grants on the interpretation and development of public policy and law related to persons with disabilities and their families,” says Syracuse University Professor and BBI Chairman Peter Blanck.
Professor Perena works at the interface of research to practice along with Spanish leaders examining alternatives to guardianship for people with disabilities and mental illnesses. She is the lead investigator of a project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the European Union entitled “Empowering People with Disabilities.”
“This project highlights the challenges facing the Spanish legal system in regard to guardianship and proposes alternatives and legal reforms that take into account the will and preferences of people with disabilities,” noted Professor Perena.
While at BBI, Professor Perena will conduct a comparative study of the Spanish and American systems of guardianship and supported decision-making. She aims to provide new insights and knowledge for legal reform in Spain and elsewhere.
About the Burton Blatt Institute
BBI reaches around the globe in its efforts to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities. BBI builds on the legacy of Burton Blatt, a pioneering disability rights scholar, to better the lives of people with disabilities. BBI has offices in Syracuse, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. Since its establishment in 2005, BBI has generated some $65 million towards education, research, and outreach activities for people with disabilities.