We are currently witnessing a global wave of care system implementation. In Latin America in particular, we are going through an unprecedented moment in this process. In February 2024, ENIL (European Network on Independent Living), together with the International Labour Organization (ILO), published a report on personal assistance for people with disabilities. This report shares both background and objectives with our own vision: to contribute a perspective from people with disabilities themselves to the discussions on the care economy, proposing personal assistance services as a key tool for guaranteeing independent living.
This report by RELAVIN (Latin American Network on Independent Living) is conceived as a Latin American version of that report and aims to make a modest contribution from our region. We also propose a fundamental measure: the implementation of Centers for Independent Living in every community in our countries.
The Latin American Network on Independent Living (RELAVIN) was formed during the pandemic, in May 2020. We are currently a network of 13 countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay), committed to promoting the independent living movement and establishing Centers for Independent Living in each of our countries. RELAVIN’s importance is increasingly recognized because, while many organizations of people with disabilities exist around the world and in Latin America, very few are truly represented by the voices of people with disabilities themselves. This is a defining characteristic of our network.
From our experience, simply implementing a care system—even if well-structured—does not by itself guarantee the right to receive adequate care. Despite the ratification and promotion of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the stereotype of people with disabilities as objects of care rather than subjects of rights persists. In some cases, even people with disabilities have internalized this vision. In this context, Centers for Independent Living managed by people with disabilities can play a crucial role in communities, contributing to the next steps in the care system implementation process.
These Centers can fulfill several key functions:
a. Serve as channels to dismantle stereotypes imposed on people with disabilities.
b. Promote the philosophy of independent living among people with disabilities, many of whom may be used to living under rules and arrangements imposed by their families or institutions.
c. Train personal assistants, helping them internalize the philosophy of independent living and the rights of persons with disabilities.
d. Facilitate effective coordination between persons with disabilities and their personal assistants.
e. Intervene in cases of conflict between the two parties.
In this report, we present four examples from Latin America, ranging from well-established systems to others that are just beginning. Uruguay has a remarkable history in the development of Centers for Independent Living, which has led to the creation of the National Integrated Care System, currently in operation. In Costa Rica, there is the Law for the Promotion of Personal Autonomy of Persons with Disabilities and a National Personal Assistance System (Law 9379). In Bolivia, several independent living centers manage personal assistants, although they lack state subsidies. In 2025, they will serve as advisors for a JICA project to be carried out with the government of Cochabamba. In Colombia, a Center for Independent Living was recently established and a pilot project is expected to be carried out with the Ministry of Equality and Equity.
With these examples, we invite readers to reflect: who are the most appropriate actors to lead the implementation of the care system for people with disabilities? Historically, it has been the independent living movement. Although we could not include their experiences in this report, we want to note that countries such as Chile, Honduras, and Guatemala are becoming increasingly active in this movement in Latin America. They are always ready.
Through these roles, Centers for Independent Living can act as intermediaries between the needs of people with disabilities and the care systems now beginning to take shape in our countries. Furthermore, this approach can generate new job opportunities both for people with disabilities and for those seeking to develop professionally as personal assistants, thus contributing to the creation of decent work and the economic development of our communities.