Políticas públicas sobre discapacidad en España. Hacia una perspectiva basada en los derechos

Abstract

Social policies on disability in Spain present a notable evolution from the middle of the 20th century, with a growth and clear stabilization from the 70s. This movement can be understood in parallel with the evolution of the conceptualizations on disability, from an archaic model based on charity and characterized by the invisibility, to the current approaches that focus on the phenomenon as a question of rights and not discrimination. At the same time, since the 60s the first representative associations of persons with disability were created in Spain. These entities have been characterized by their increasing active participation in the design and management of resources and services derived from the successive advances on social policies related to disability. This article, using as reference the evolution of the concept of disability, revises the principal achievements of social services orientated to the support and promotion of persons with disability, and its relation to the organizations that represent them.