Panama

Key Factors: The passage of the Equalization of Opportunities for People with Disabilities Act, Law 42 of 1999, created a legal framework for the protection of the rights of people with disabilities in Panama.

Terminology

The official terminology used to refer to disability has shifted over time. Historically, the word "impedido", translated here as "handicapped," was used in the context of disability. The most recent national law specifically focused on disability issues, however, abandoned that language. Law 42 on the Equalization of Opportunities for People with Disabilities, which was enacted on 27 August 1999, makes specific reference to disability rights and the protection thereof.¹

Terms like "físicamente imposibilitados" and "impedidos fisicos" are found in other Panamanian legal documents.² When directly quoting these documents within this report, these phrases have been translated as "physically impaired." The phrase "niños y jóvenes con necesidades educativas especiales" has been translated as "children and youth with special education needs."³

1. Law 42, Equalization of Opportunities for People with Disabilities Act, Official Gazette 23876, 1996.
2. Código Electoral de Panamá, Official Gazette 24748, 22 February 2003.
3. Law 34, 1995.