Colombia: proposed national disability policy gains strong governmental support
Information from DISNNET PRESS (disnetco@yahoo.com), No. 582, November 5, 2002, edited by Luis Fernando Astorga Gatjens, IID (lferag@racsa.co.cr)
Several actions have been performed and others are planned as part of the new Colombian public policy in disability. These efforts are part of the Unified Plan for 2003-2006 undertaken by the new administration of President Uribe Vélez. The objective of the plan is to define a public policy on disability.
The Colombian Congress is studying the approval of a National Disability System, with two projects, presented by Senator Jairo Clopatofsky Ghisays, the author of the 1997 Law 361 on the integration of persons with disabilities. At the same time, the government is finishing up the technical and methodological aspects, gathering information from all sectors developed in recent years.
There have been major efforts at developing and coordinating the institutional network with all the public and private agencies which have been scattered throughout the country for some time.
Today, as a result of this intersectoral building process, there are some institutional action disability networks at national and regional levels. Twenty departments and the Capital District of Colombia, the goals of the project were presented to the country. They include Disability Attention Departmental Plans and they will provide input for the National Disability Attention Plan.
All of these results include the social participation and human rights model for dealing with disability goals around the world.
On October 24, these 24 departments united their territorial disability attention networks, including local government agencies and organization of persons with disabilities with the technical and methodological aspects proposed by the National Disability Attention Plan for 2003 - 2006. These first Colombian departments are:
Antioquia, Arauca, Atlántico, Boyacá, Caldas, Cundinamarca, Caquetá, Chocó, Huila, Guainia, Guajira, Meta, Nariño, Putumayo, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, San Andrés, Tolima, Valle.
A similar activity was held in the Capital District of Bogotá on November 12, to support the regional efforts and the goals of the National Plan.
All of these efforts were then consolidated at a National Workshop held on November 28-29, organized by the Project for Strengthening Institutional Networks and Territorial Support for Persons with Disabilities.
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