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Key Factors: The legal standing of disability rights in Mexico is contradictory.
A Federal Act for Persons with Disabilities is currently under legislative
consideration, and Mexico has been very active in United Nations attempts to
create a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention to Promote and
Protect the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. However, much current
legislation lacks regulations, and compliance is a problem. Moreover, awareness
of disability rights is low among both people with and without disabilities.
In discussions of disabiliy, the preferred term in Mexico is "personas
con discapacidad" (people with disabilities). The Persons with Disabilities Act
of the State of Mexico uses the phrase, "personas con capacidades diferentes,"
which directly translated means, "people with different abilities." Mexico does
not recognize mental or psychiatric disabilities, so other relevant terms include
"deficiencia mental" and "desorden mental", translated as "mental deficiency" and
"mental disorder," respectively. When quoting official documents within this report,
original terminology has been retained.
Broadly speaking, the definitions of disability used in official and legislative
documents refer to the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons
with Disabilities and the World Program of Action concerning Disabled Persons.1
1. "México (república)" [Mexico (Republic)], Enciclopedia® Microsoft® Encarta 2001; UN General Assembly, Fourty Eigth Session, Official Records, Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, 20 December 1993, http://www.un.org/esa/ socdev/enable/dissres0.htm; UN General Assembly, Resolution 37/52, World Program of Action concerning Disabled Persons, 3 December 1982, http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/ diswpa01.htm#Definition.