Civil society organizations strengthen the monitoring of the rights of persons with disabilities in Latin America

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The Social Inclusion Disability Network, promoted by RIDHE, brings together civil society, academia, and institutional partners to advance inclusive and accessible public policies across the region.

As part of its ongoing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, the Network for the Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, promoted by the International Human Rights Network Europe (RIDHE), held its second meeting on February 5, 2026, in San José, Costa Rica.

The meeting, hosted by Universidad Central, brought together FOAL – ONCE Foundation for Latin America (Grupo Social ONCE), the National Resource Center (CENAREC) of the Ministry of Public Education of Costa Rica, the foundation Sordos con Vos, the Helen Keller Training and Rehabilitation Institute, UNICEF Costa Rica, the International Network for Education for Work, and PASURCO Caminando Seguro.

The objective was to strengthen regional coordination and promote monitoring and advocacy mechanisms for public policies.

In Latin America, more than 85 million people live with a disability, in contexts marked by structural inequalities, poverty, and persistent barriers that limit the full exercise of their rights.

In response to this reality, RIDHE and the organizations that make up the Network promote an approach based on the social model of disability, aimed at transforming structures that have historically generated exclusion and fostering the recognition of persons with disabilities as full rights-holders.

From this perspective, the effective exercise of legal capacity on an equal basis, the removal of normative and institutional barriers that limit participation, the harmonization of national legislation with international human rights standards, and the adoption of measures ensuring the prevention, sanction, and reparation of rights violations are promoted. This contributes to consolidating a comprehensive protection framework and ensuring effective justice.

The meeting was established as a strategic coordination space for the exchange of experiences and best practices among civil society organizations, persons with disabilities, academia, and institutional partners, as well as for strengthening their organizational capacities for more effective advocacy.

It also promoted the independent monitoring of human rights, the rigorous documentation of violations, and the development of concrete technical recommendations aimed at influencing the design, implementation, and monitoring of inclusive and accessible public policies.

In this regard, the Network reaffirms its commitment to actively contribute to key international mechanisms such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its monitoring committee, the Inter-American Human Rights System, especially the IACHR and its Rapporteurships, the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council, and the 2030 Agenda, while promoting mainstream inclusion and full respect for the principle of non-discrimination.

“Inclusion of persons with disabilities is neither a sectoral nor a charitable matter; it is a fundamental pillar for democracy, social justice, and sustainable development in our region,” stated Winnye Bernard, RIDHE’s director of Programs for Latin America.

Additionally, the director of FOAL presented the work carried out with civil society organizations, highlighting their commitment to institutional strengthening and the promotion of the rights of persons with visual disabilities in Latin America, and underlining the importance of building strategic partnerships to achieve effective inclusion.

The director of the Universidad Central reaffirmed his support for the Network by making its facilities available for future meetings and considering the implementation of a mechanism to facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities within the university.

Following a joint discussion, the Network concluded the meeting with the following lines of collaboration and collective proposals:

It was deemed necessary to strengthen the Network’s internal organization through thematic working groups, in order to coordinate joint actions according to each organization’s area of expertise. The working areas include: Education and Training, Recreation, Employability and Entrepreneurship, Gender and Disability, Children and Adolescence, Human Rights, Advocacy, and Communication.

The Network also committed to promoting awareness-raising, training, and communication actions, through the implementation of advocacy campaigns, and outreach strategies, with the aim of educating society and strengthening support tools for persons with disabilities.

Finally, the different stakeholders expressed their willingness to consolidate and expand the Network through the integration of new organizations and the organization of regular follow-up meetings, experience-sharing, and the development of joint proposals.

RIDHE reaffirms its commitment to supporting and strengthening organizations of persons with disabilities in Latin America by consolidating a regional strategic monitoring space capable of transforming international commitments into real and measurable changes in people’s lives.