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Key Factors: In 2000, the government of Belize began dismantling the Disability Services Division of the Ministry of Human Development.¹ The Disability Services Division was responsible for developing and monitoring programs and services for people with disabilities. After disbanding the division in 2001, the government transferred responsibility for disability service provision to private companies and nongovernmental organizations. Many of these organizations, however, do not have the financial or technical resources necessary to implement and sustain programs for people with disabilities.

Definition of Disability
There is no official definition, government document or national policy relating to disability in Belize.²

**Disability Population**

The population of Belize is approximately 248,916, according to the 2000 census conducted by the Central Statistical Office.³ The last two censuses, in 1991 and 2000, both included a question on disability. The censuses identified a total of 12,431 (6.5%) persons with disabilities in 1991, and 13,774 (5.7%) persons with disabilities in 2000. The 1991 three-part question asked:

Does . . . . . . suffer from any long-standing illness, disability or infirmity?
(yes/no)

What type of disability or impairment does . . . . . have? (Sight/Hearing/
Speech/Upper limb/Lower limb/Neck and spine/Slowness at learning or understanding/Mental retardation/Other)

^1.Government of Belize, *The Convention on the Rights of the Child: Periodic Report 2002,* *Belize*, 2002.

^2.Evan Dakers (Social Planner of the Ministry of Human Development), interviewed by author, Belize City, July-August 2003.

^3.Central Statistical Office, *Abstract of Statistics,* 2001. The population actually enumerated by the census comprised 240,204 persons. Based upon a follow-up survey to the 1991 census, the undercount was estimated at 3.5%. The 248,916 figure represents the final adjusted population.

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