Towards inclusion and equality

The Statute of Persons with Disabilities, a bill I authored, was recently approved in the Chamber of Deputies, with a report by Mara Gabrilli. The text returns to the Senate, where Romário Faria will be the rapporteur. From there, with its final approval, it will go to the President of the Republic for sanction, becoming federal law.

I presented the Statute in 2003. Over the years, we have held several public hearings, seminars, video conferences, state meetings, and debates with the disability rights movement. This entire process gradually refined and gave the document its current form.

But what exactly changes with the Statute? It changes the very definition of disability, which, in addition to physical limitations, includes components of the physical environment. This is no small matter, as it removes the responsibility for the exclusion experienced by people with disabilities and places the duty on the State and society to eliminate barriers and enable everyone to live a full life with work, education, culture, leisure, accessibility, and democracy.

Among the numerous advances, we can mention some: a 10% quota for places in federal universities, both public and private; a 10% quota for places in technical courses at the secondary and higher education levels; and a 3% quota for housing built with public funds. Companies with more than 50 employees will receive tax incentives when hiring people with disabilities. Those that are already legally obligated to hire and exceed the required percentage will also benefit.

Another fundamental contribution of the Statute lies in the criminal classifications for individuals, bodies, and entities that fail to comply with the relevant legislation. Penalties may range from six months to four years of imprisonment, in addition to fines.

It's clear that the journey isn't over yet. There are still a few small steps to take. But we are very close to completing another mission focused on inclusion and equality, and on transforming for the better the lives of more than 45 million Brazilians who have some type of disability.