Ombudsman launches campaign for inclusion of people with disabilities

The National Association of Public Defenders (Anadep) launched, this Thursday (4), the national campaign to fight for the rights of people with disabilities, with the theme Public Defender: in action for inclusion. The initiative aims to promote education in human rights and serve as an instrument against ableism, defined as discrimination and prejudice against people with disabilities, based on the understanding that they are inferior or incapable. The president of Anadep, Rivana Ricarte, emphasized that defenders need to provide free access to human rights. “We know that it is a great challenge for the Public Defender’s Office to make this reversal and produce changes, also, within our institutional associative spaces. We are not ready. But, we are open to building a democratic space so that, in fact, we can serve the people who seek us out, in the way they deserve to be served, with all accessibility spaces open.” Human rights and access to justice The mobilization of public defenders has the support of the Ministries of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC) and of Justice and Public Security (MJSP). The Secretary for Access to Justice of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Marivaldo Pereira, recalled that people with disabilities face more barriers to accessing Justice and that, most of the time, this entry is made by public defenders. For the secretary, the Brazilian State has the mission of preventing the judicialization of avoidable cases, barring negligence of the rights of people with disabilities, such as denial of benefits by the National Social Security Institute (INSS) or cutting them off, without legal basis; the expansion of services at the Reference Centers for Social Assistance (CRAS), in addition to the adoption of a protocol for the conduct of public security bodies. “We are going to dialogue to increasingly integrate State bodies with the public defender’s office, and thus stop judicializing these issues and focus on the promotion of rights. This is more efficient, costs the State much less and avoids the suffering of families who so badly need to have their rights respected”, defends Marivaldo Pereira. The National Secretary for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of the MDHC, Anna Paula Feminella, understands that the campaign can prevent the perpetuation of the cycles of violence faced by this segment of the population. In a speech, Ana Paula Feminella mentioned numerous difficulties faced by this public, from the lack of research and information, stigmas, and, mainly, the lack of equality of rights. “Our specificities do not victimize us, but rather the empowering culture ingrained in our society. Like racism, ableism is structural. We need to identify that there are millions of people who are devastated by the lack of access to public services. And without public policies, cycles of exclusion and violence are perpetuated. It’s dramatic.” The president of the Commission for the Defense of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Chamber of Deputies, Mario Jerry (PC do B – MA), warned about the low representation of the segment in the spaces of power and that it is necessary to give visibility and engagement to its own public policies of people with disabilities. “It is not enough to place the issue of the rights of people with disabilities below the secretariats of social assistance, health or even human rights in the states. There are only three states in the Federation with specific secretariats. Within the [poder] Legislative, there are only nine legislative assemblies with committees dedicated to people with disabilities.” Public defenders Public defenders are institutions that guarantee access to justice for people in vulnerable situations or who cannot afford the services of a private lawyer. Public defenders must provide legal guidance and defend, at all levels, the rights of the needy, in an integral and free manner. Work must promote human dignity and reduce inequalities. In Brazil, on average, the Public Defender’s Office handles 15 million cases per year. Anadep calculates that, at least, 10% of the total assistance is focused on the rights of people with disabilities, for example, access to inclusive education, comprehensive health, quotas at work, adequate housing, accessibility in transport, culture, sport and leisure. Currently, seven states have centers specialized in this theme: Minas Gerais, Maranhão, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and São Paulo. The president of the National Council of Public Defenders General (Condege), Florisvaldo Fiorentino, reinforced that professionals work to contribute to the full and free defense of human and social rights of citizens. “The National Public Defender’s Office — whether in the judicial, extrajudicial, individual or collective sphere — increasingly seeks to specialize its work with the work of specialized centers focused on this. Expertise and stamina in internal qualification so that the best possible product is delivered to our population, ”he said.

Agência Brasil