Brazil–EU seminar discusses disability evaluation

Specialists from Brazil, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, the UK, and Latin American countries will meet in Brasília October 29–31 to exchange experiences about a model for the treatment of disabilities in compliance with the United Nations 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The International Seminar on Disability Evaluation is promoted by the European Union and the Human Rights Ministry through its Secretariat for the Rights of People with Disabilities.

The event will feature panels and debates about Brazilian and international experiences in how disabilities are evaluated, and will give experts a chance to compare the model to be introduced in Brazil and those in effect in other countries.

The goal is to exchange experiences with nations that have already changed their legislation and those in the process of transitioning from a purely medical model—like the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)—a format with a broader coverage of disabilities, like the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), which takes into account impairments of physical, sensory, mental, and intellectual nature.

In Brazil, the transition process from a purely medical model to a biological, psychological, and social one—as established by the UN convention and corroborated by the Brazilian Law for Persons with Disability—is underway and likely to be concluded later this yea

Marco Pellegrini,national secretaryfor the rightso disabled persons -  Antonio Cruz/ Agência Brasil

Commitment

Human Rights Minister Gustavo Rocha said that the seminar shows Brazil’s commitment with public policies directed at disabled people. “We want to exchange experiences with other countries so we can become a more egalitarian and inclusive society together.”

Marco Pellegrini, national secretary for the rights of disabled persons, said that, by ratifying the UN Convention, Brazil has taken up a number of obligations aimed at ensuring that opportunities are offered equally among people with and without disabilities throughout the country. “The great goal of the new assessment model is simplifying access to services and benefits, so that more people can have access to them,” he stated.

According to Claudia Gintersdorfer, in charge of business with the EU in Brazil, the seminar comes “as part of EU’s wider efforts to promote  the integration of disability-related issues and the sharing of good practices. In the EU, we adopt the strategy of training people with disabilities so that they can fully enjoy their rights and participate in a society and an economy with equal conditions.”