Mexico City Care System Bill Falls Short on Rights of People wiht Disabilities adn Older Adults

(Mexico City) – The care system bill submitted to lawmakers by the government of Mexico City doesn’t guarantee autonomy, equality, and protection from abuse for people with disabilities and older people,Human Rights Watch said today.

The Mexico City Congress has formed a committee of experts to organize a public consultation on proposals for a new care and support system,including a proposal by Clara Brugada,the city governmentS head. The proposed Public System of Care aims to address longstanding gender, age, and disability-related inequalities in caregiving. This is an important goal, as women – including women with disabilities and older women – have long disproportionately shouldered caregiving responsibilities, Human Rights Watch said. Though, disability and older people’s rights groups and advocates point to serious omissions and inconsistencies in the proposal that fail to guarantee the rights and autonomy of people with disabilities and older people.

“The draft law recognizes care as a right but omits essential elements to make that right effective,” said Carlos Ríos Espinosa,associate disability rights director at Human Rights Watch. “It doesn’t clearly define what ‘support’ means, specify the types of services that would be provided – such as personal assistance, decision-making support, and other support essential for people with disabilities – or guarantee that users have control over their care and support arrangements.”

In a letter to lawmakers, advocates said that organizations representing people with disabilities and older people have expressed concerns about the lack of clarity regarding funding, implementation, and oversight mechanisms. they also emphasized the need for meaningful participation of people with disabilities and older people in the design and implementation of the system.