Being disabled persons in Spain: policies, stakeholders and services

Abstract

This study aims to review the historical path of policies that have bring Spanish country to develop an advanced system of protection and integration of disabled people in its society. Through the analysis of the three fundamental general laws, we argue as the Spanish legal framework for disability – rooted in its Constitutional Chart- transposed at national and local level the major UN and EU supranational legislation in the matter. In addition, we get a look also on the main stakeholders that facilitate the access of disabled people to services provided by national and local government. Finally, appendix 1 and 2 exemplify concrete measures in terms of aids and benefits for disabled people and policies in the field of sport and physical activities for them respectively. In theoretical terms, the review shows that the actual Spanish legal system -and its services system- agrees with the internationally shared social paradigm of disability and overcame the rehabilitation or medical model in which rights and integration of disabled people were not fully acknowledged.

Keywords

• protection
• integration of disabled people