Costa Rica Holds First Presidential Debate on Disability
By Luis Fernando Astorga Gatjens
San José, Costa Rica, December 10, 2001 - On December 3, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a full-house Presidential Debate on Disability was held in San José, the countries capital. Ten of the 13 presidential candidates participated with their perspectives regarding the Costa Rican campaign of February, 2002.
The activity, which lasted 3 hours, was held at the University of Costa Rica's Recreational Center, where adaptations were made 2 weeks in advance to make it accessible for persons with disabilities.
Around 400 people with disabilities, their families and friends crowded the place, hoping to obtain concrete answers from presidential candidates regarding what would they do with respect to disability concerns in Costa Rica.
This activity, first of this kind in Costa Rica, was organized by the joint efforts of the following organizations: Human Rights Forum for Persons with Disabilities (El Foro), the Costa Rican Federation of Persons with Disabilities (FECODIS), the Ondusman Office, the National Rehabilitation and Special Education Council, and the University of Costa Rica.
A Disability Litmus Test
On this stage, crowded with journalists, television cameras, lights, and expectations, the debate began. Its Coordinator was Federico Montero Mejía, doctor in rehabilitation medicine and board member of the Human Rights Forum for Persons with Disabilities.
To begin, each candidate had 5 minutes of exposition and 2 minutes of additional time to address comments in response to the interventions of the other presidential candidates. These expositions were centered around the following major topics: Access to education, access to employment, accessible infrastructure, and accessible transportation. These major topics are found as chapters of Costa Rica's Equal Opportunities Law for Persons with Disabilities (Law 7600), that came into force on May 29, 1996.
Candidates respond to questions from disabled individuals
During the second part of the debate, and at two different moments, each presidential candidate answered questions asked by persons with disabilities (blind, deaf, Down's Syndrome and physical disability) on specific issues. Here the following topics were covered: Public disability policies, accessible transportation, provisions for medicine and technical aids, participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes, sheltered workshops, education leading to job placement, and the right to information and communication.
The presidential candidates went through a tough examination on disability issues, and most of them failed, they really had to study more; a few passed the test, but not with excellent grades.
Ghetto and Political Power
The debate is considered successful because the majority of the presidential candidates participated, including those of the two political parties which historically have received the most votes in Costa Rica and for which national polls show to have the largest chance of winning the elections.
The organization of the event was also very positively graded, together with the enthusiastic participation of persons with disabilities. One of the presidential candidates told us: "It has been the best presidential debate in which I have participated."
Marked contrast in ideas of the candidates
There was a marked contrast in the ideas of presidential candidate Abel Pacheco, a psychiatrist, from the Social Christian Unity Party, and those of Rolando Araya, an chemical engineer, for the National Liberation Party. They both received favorable poll results for becoming the President of Costa Rica.
Presidential candidate Pacheco promised to build special citadels, where people with disabilities can live. He clarified that not only people with disabilities could live there, but the majority of the dwellers would be persons with disabilities. The purpose of such "special citadels" is to save costs, there would less need for accessible buses, less adapted infrastructure and less costs in adapting the services required by persons with disabilities.
Pacheco's words were severely criticized and he was accused of proposing to confine disabled people in ghettos. The next day, on radio programs, some listeners demanded a public apology from Pacheco for his comments.
Presidential candidate Rolando Araya affirmed that the main problem for persons with disabilities is the lack of access to political power in the decisions affecting their lives. In order to correct such deficiencies, Araya stated that if he were elected, he would appoint a person with disabilities to a position with Ministerial rank to handle disability issues.
Presidential Candidate Rolando Araya, indicated that the person with disabilities in said governmental position would directly counsel the President and his cabinet regarding public disability policies to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities.
Yes, it is possible...
We must note that, when one of the participating presidential candidates indicated that, even if there was an initiative in favor of persons with disabilities, it could not be carried out because of legal or budget obstacles, a large sector of the audience started shouting: !SI SE PUEDE! ¡SI SE PUEDE! (YES, IT IS POSIBLE!, YES, IT IS POSSIBLE!). This affirmative manifestation of hope and protest was originated by the representatives of Costa Rica's Human Rights Forum for Persons with Disabilities.
The discussions were focused around the urgent need to implement the Law 7600. All presidential candidates agreed that now, after 5 and a half years from its adoption, the Costa Rican Equal Opportunities Law for Persons with Disabilities was still not being implemented and this substantial lack of compliance was causing great problems for citizens with disabilities.
Presidential candidate Walter Coto, of Cambio 2000 Party, proposed that the law should be amended in order to increase the percentage of representation of organizations of persons with disabilities on the National Council of Rehabilitation and Special Education, from the present 25% to 40 or 60%.
Also, Ottón Solís, from Citizens Action Party, reminded that care must be taken with the language to be used when dealing with disability issues -as the Law 7600 expressly mandated. Inadequate and stigmatizing terms must be eliminated so as not to foster prejudice.
Historical Debate
A disability activist, Yanira Pessoa, President of the Costa Rican Association of Disabled Persons (Asociación Costarricense de Lisiados) and member of el Foro, told DisabilityWorld, that this debate was a landmark in the history of the Costa Rican Disability Movement: it was the first time in our country that a Presidential Debate was organized specifically on disability issues.
Another member of El Foro's Coordinating Committee, lawyer Catalina Devandas, told us: "With this debate, persons with disabilities have leaped into the political arena and no on can move us back out". We end our report on this historical debate in this Central American country.
|
