Government Implementation of the Standard Rules
As Seen By Member Organizations of
Rehabilitation International - RI

Argentina

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© Dimitris Michailakis 1997 Rehabilitation International, Argentina
No reply was received from the Government of Argentina.

Legislation

The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by special legislation, applicable to all citizens. The judicial mechanism adopted to protect the rights of persons with disabilities is recourse procedure by a special agency, dealing with anti-discrimination issues. The non-judicial mechanisms include an ombudsman and a governmental body (administrative).

General legislation applies to persons with different disabilities with respect to education, employment, the right to marriage, the right to parenthood/family, political rights, access to court of law, the right to privacy and property rights. The following benefits are guaranteed by law to persons with disabilities: health and medical care, training, rehabilitation and counselling.

No new legislation concerning disability has been enacted, since the adoption of the Rules.

Accessibility

There are rules to ensure accessibility of the built environment which establish national design standards requiring that public places, the outdoor environment, means of public transport and housing are made accessible. Accessibility in the built environment is observed by a national authority and by local governments. The following measures have been promoted by the government in order to facilitate accessibility in the built environment: levelling off pavements, marking parking areas, installing automatic doors and providing specially adapted motor vehicles. Special transport is available for medical treatment, education, work and for recreational purpose. The most difficult obstacles, when planning to build accessible environments, are attitudinal factors, economic/budgetary factors, and lack of enforcement mechanism. There is a disability awareness component incorporated in the training of planners, architects and construction engineers.

Sign language is recognized as the main means of communication between deaf persons and others. There are no government measures to encourage media and other forms of public information services to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities. The following services are provided in order to facilitate information and communication between persons with disabilities and others: literature in Braille/tape and news magazines on tape/Braille.

Organizations of persons with disabilities

There is a national umbrella organization. There are no legal provisions mandating the representatives of persons with disabilities to participate in policy-making or to work with governmental institutions. Organizations of persons with disabilities are often consulted, when laws and regulations with a disability aspect are being prepared. Consultations occur at both the national, regional and local level. The government gives organizational/logistic support to organizations of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities participate to a very limited extent in judicial authorities and political parties, to some extent in government and legislatures and to a great extent in NGOs. The role of organizations of persons with disabilities is to advocate rights and improved services, and to contribute to public awareness. Organizations, however, do not mobilize persons with disabilities, identify needs and priorities, participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of services and measures, provide services or promote/organize income generating activities.

Co-ordination of work

The co-ordinating committee is reporting to the Prime Minister's office. The committee includes representatives of many Ministries and of organizations of persons with disabilities. The government expects the co-ordinating committee to participate in policy development and to perform other tasks. The establishment of the co-ordinating committee has led to improved co-ordination of measures/programmes and a better dialogue in the disability field. It has not led to improved legislation, improved integration of responsibility, more accurate planning, more effective use of resources or to improved promotion of public awareness.

The adoption of the Rules has not led to a rethinking of the approach to disability policy.

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