Government Implementation of the Standard Rules
As Seen By Member Organizations of
World Blind Union - WBU

Costa Rica

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© Dimitris Michailakis 1997

WBU, Costa Rica
No reply was received from the Government of the Costa Rica.
Compare with the following Country Report(s): DPI, ILSMH, WFD

General policy

The officially recognized disability policy is expressed in guidelines adopted by the government, in guidelines adopted by the national disability council and in policy adopted by political parties.

Since the adoption of the Rules, the government has not done anything to convey the message of full participation.

Legislation

The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by general legislation. The judicial mechanism adopted to protect the rights of persons with disabilities is recourse procedure by a special agency dealing with anti-discrimination issues. Non-judicial bodies include: an Ombudsman, a governmental body (administrative) and independent expert bodies. General legislation applies to persons with different disabilities with respect to education, employment, the right to marriage, the right to parenthood/family and the right to privacy.

Accessibility

There are rules to ensure accessibility of the built environment. Accessibility in the built environment is observed by local governments. The following measures have been promoted by the government in order to facilitate accessibility in the built environment: levelling off pavements and marking parking areas. There is no special transport for persons with disabilities. The most difficult obstacles, when planning to build accessible environments, are attitudinal factors, economic/budgetary factors, lack of planning and design capacity and lack of enforcement mechanism. There is no disability awareness component incorporated in the training of planners, architects and construction engineers.

Sign language is recognized as the official language of deaf people. There are no government measures to encourage media and other forms of public information 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, news magazines on tape/Braille, sign language interpretation being available for major events and easy readers for persons with mental disabilities.

Organizations of persons with disabilities

There is a national umbrella organization in which 13 organizations are represented. 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 the national level. The government gives organizational/logistic support to organizations of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities participate to a very limited extent in legislatures, judicial authorities, and political parties, to some extent in government and to a great extent in NGOs. The role of organizations of persons with disabilities is to advocate rights and improved services, contribute to public awareness, provide services and promote/organize income generating activities. Organizations do not mobilize persons with disabilities, identify needs and priorities nor participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of services and measures.

Co-ordination of work

There is no national co-ordinating committee.

The adoption of the Rules has led to a rethinking of the approach to disability policy.

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