October 8, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic battered the Latin American region, and has exacted a disproportionate toll on the lives of persons with disabilities throughout Latin America, exacerbating inequalities and entrenching already pervasive patterns of marginalization. These effects were especially evident for institutionalized persons with disabilities throughout the region – who faced heightened risk of COVID-19 transmission and increased isolation in these congregate settings – as well as for children with disabilities, who experienced disruptions in access to education and other critical services. And pandemic response and recovery plans often have failed to adequately include persons with disabilities.

The challenges presented by the pandemic exposed the precariousness of important pre-pandemic legal advances to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, including recent legislative advances in Peru, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Colombia, which safeguard their right to exercise legal capacity, as well as significant judicial decisions, from the Supreme Court of Mexico, among other tribunals, affirming core rights to equality for persons living with disabilities. As countries across the region begin to emerge from the depths of the pandemic, this panel aims to take stock of the opportunities and challenges for Latin American countries to build a more inclusive society for persons with disabilities, and the role of courts in advancing robust frameworks to do so.

Presentations included an overview of the legal and human rights issues and challenges in the region from the perspective of the Pan-American Health Organization, and a keynote address outlining the Mexican Supreme Court’s approach to disability rights. A moderated discussion, with opportunities for questions from the webinar attendees, followed.

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