Paraguay

Key Factors: Since 1998 Paraguay has been in financial crisis, and the need to reduce the national deficit has resulted in the postponement of government investment in social policy and programs in health care, education, and infrastructure. Social and economic surveys reveal poor quality and coverage of social services. Thus, although Paraguay has enacted a series of laws and created institutions intended for the protection of disability rights, the country has not made the changes necessary to secure equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

Terminology

A number of terms are used in Paraguay to refer to persons with disabilities. Although associations of persons with disabilities use "personas con discapacidad," translated as "persons with disabilities," other terms are often used in official contexts. For example, the 2002 Central Department survey of people with disabilities used the phrase "personas con capacidades diferentes," which has been translated in this report as "person with different abilities." Other legal documents, including the Constitution, refer to "personas excepcionales," translated as "exceptional person," or "personas con impedimentos," translated as "impaired person." The Electoral Code, Section 210, uses "misusválidos", translated as "handicapped." Several legal documents and the National Census, use the broad term "impedimentos," translated as "impediments," and include designations such as "mudos," translated as "mute." When directly quoting original documents, the original terminology has been preserved.