Disability in Belize

Several non-governmental organizations, including Special Olympics, help increase awareness and the government sponsors an annual Disability Week.

[7] The Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation (MHDSTPA) is the agency that works with people with disabilities in Belize.

[3] The Community Agency for Rehabilitation and Education (CARE) was formed in 2002 after the Government of Belize did not have the resources to provide for services for people with disabilities.

[1] CARE provides community rehabilitation services to individuals in Belize and focuses on children and HIV/AIDS awareness for people who are blind or deaf.

[1][3] The Belize Assembly for Persons with Diverse Abilities (BAPDA) started providing individuals with a National Disability Identification Card in 2019.

[12] These cards allow individuals to access special services for people with disabilities at various participating locations.

[3] Special Olympic games take place during Disabilities Awareness Week in Belize and include a torch run throughout the country.

[15] Individuals needing eye care can access these services through the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI).

[24] Teachers that need a degree in special education have limited resources due to a lack of local training in the country.

[26] Lonely Planet also writes that most buildings and restrooms in Belize are not equipped to accommodate people with disabilities.

While 16 consider physiotherapy their primary occupation, fewer than half are formally licensed by the Belize Ministry of Health to practice.

They are entrepreneurial and active in direct patient care, typically working Monday through Friday in private outpatient and home health settings within the densely populated regions of Belize.

Most physiotherapists in Belize believe more awareness and governmental investment is needed so that more people can have access to physiotherapy services for the betterment of society.

[10] Because of low literacy rates, deaf people are often unable to use writing to communicate with individuals who do not know sign language.