Theresia Degener

Theresia Degener (born 10 April 1961 in Altenberge, West Germany) is a jurist and professor of law at the Protestant University for Applied Sciences of the Rheinland-Westfalen-Lippe.

Degener is well known for being an outspoken victim of the ''Contergan Skandal'', also known as the thalidomide disaster/tragedy, which makes reference to the drug thalidomide first marketed in 1957 in West Germany under the trade-name Contergan. The drug, first described as a mild sleeping aid, caused thousands of babies worldwide to be born with malformed limbs.

She is also a lead activist of the rights of Persons With Disabilities, and is the Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

She is also a member of the Human Rights Initiative Advisory Board of the Open Society Foundation. Provided by Wikipedia