This text is a guide for using a feminist perspective when teaching and conducting research on disability in Latin America.
This guide emerged from the multiple conversations one of its authors (Constanza López Radrigán) had with researchers and activists in the field of disability who are based in or connected to the region. These conversations complement the findings she reached as part of her doctoral thesis, which aimed to articulate a feminist approach to disability from a Latin American perspective. Therefore, this guide is based both on these conversations and on some of the central conclusions she reached in her doctoral work. By virtue of the work’s focus on the perceptions and experiences of forty-two researchers and nineteen activists, the guide is intended for those dedicated to the processes of teaching, learning, and producing academic knowledge about disability in this territory.
Baby MICARE is a free program that helps professionals work with families of children with Down syndrome, from birth to 3 years old.
The program is based on scientific evidence and includes a step-by-step guide for implementation. Its goal is to improve interactions between caregivers and children, supporting their development and autonomy.
The program includes 10 sessions, focused on practicing skills through play and daily routines.
Any health or education professional can use the program, as the manual explains each step clearly.
The program also strengthens sensitivity, empathy, and respect for the child’s initiative during play.
Baby MICARE was created based on research funded by Fondecyt Regular 1221400, and it takes into account the characteristics and needs of families in Chile.
Notes:
The following summary was prepared by Núcleo Milenio DISCA and is based exclusively on the original publication. Therefore, it should not be used for citations or references.
It is necessary to create laws and institutions that truly respond to the needs of people with disabilities. This includes moving away from outdated models that view disability solely as a medical issue.
People with disabilities must directly participate in the creation of policies and programs that affect them.
It is important to recognize that women, LGBTIQ+ individuals, children, adolescents, Indigenous peoples, and racialized people with disabilities face different barriers. Therefore, state actions must be sensitive to these differences and ensure appropriate support for each group.
It is urgent to eliminate the figure of “interdiction” that still exists in several countries, which prevents many people with disabilities from making decisions about their own lives, bodies, or property.
A set of recommendations is proposed to realize self-determination and combat discrimination against people with disabilities.
Notes:
The following summary was prepared by Núcleo Milenio DISCA and is based exclusively on the original publication. Therefore, it should not be used for citations or references.
Approximately 18% of the Chilean population has a disability. Despite having greater health needs, they face significant difficulties in accessing health services due to structural barriers in the health system.
Twelve health policies were analyzed using an analytical framework adapted for disability, and the presence of 21 core human rights concepts was evaluated. Although 92% of the policies mention human rights concepts related to disability, only 50% show clear policy commitments.
In addition, 15 national stakeholders were interviewed to assess perceptions on health policies.
The 15 interviewees identified three main reasons explaining the implementation challenges of disability-related health policies:
Lack of financing;
Inconsistent political approach to disability;
Shortage of human resources.
It is crucial to improve both the design and implementation of disability-inclusive health policies to guarantee the right to health for people with disabilities and to comply with the human rights principles that should guide inclusive public health policy.
Notes:
The following summary was prepared by Núcleo Milenio DISCA and is based exclusively on the original publication. Therefore, it should not be used for citations or references.
We analyzed short stories where disabled parents share how they are treated by health personnel (for example, doctors and nurses).
Disabled parents say that health personnel do not see them and do not believe they can do things.
In these stories, health personnel pay more attention to the parent’s disability than to the child who needs medical attention.
Health personnel understand disability as something that limits a person. This can make it difficult for parents and children to get the help they need.
Disabled parents look for ways to deal with the way health personnel treat them and to ensure that their children receive care from the health staff.
Notes:
This summary was made by Núcleo Milenio DISCA, and was based exclusively on the publication. It cannot be used for citations and references.
The objective of this article is to analyze the narratives of medical professionals in the city of Rancagua (capital of the O’Higgins Region, central Chile), about the reproductive health/motherhood of Haitian women.
Haitian women face more obstacles to receiving good medical care: there are no translators, there is a lack of information, and cultural differences are not respected.
Being a mother and a migrant is difficult. Many times, these women are judged for not fitting the image of a “good mother” according to what is expected in Chile. This puts them in an unfair position and their way of interacting with their babies is questioned.
Doctors in Rancagua say that Haitian women do not show enough affection to their babies. This was called “lack of attachment” in the research.
Doctors compare Haitian mothers with other migrant mothers and say that they do not care for their children in the same way. This creates mistrust toward them.
The study shows that Haitian women are discriminated against for being Black. Medical staff see them as different, inferior, or “less civilized.”
Racist ideas influence how these women are treated. Negative images are built that affect their access to healthcare and that of their children.
More births, same problems. Although the number of Haitian women giving birth in Rancagua has increased, the health system has not changed or adapted to serve them better.
Importance of the intercultural approach. The study says a change is necessary. Health care needs to understand and respect different cultures and ways of being a mother.
Notes:
The following summary was prepared by Núcleo Milenio DISCA and is based exclusively on the original publication. Therefore, it should not be used for citations or references.
This article was originally published in English and Spanish.
En el Salón Montt Varas del Palacio La Moneda se celebró el inicio del trabajo de la Mesa Técnica para la Promoción de la Inclusión y Participación de Personas con Discapacidad en Educación Superior, hito que se enmarca en el convenio de colaboración firmado el año pasado entre el Servicio Nacional de la Discapacidad, SENADIS, y la Subsecretaría de Educación Superior del Ministerio de Educación.
En la instancia participaron autoridades de Gobierno como Javiera Toro, ministra de Desarrollo Social y Familia; el subsecretario de Educación Superior, Víctor Orellana; el director nacional del SENADIS, Daniel Concha; rectoras y rectores de instituciones de educación superior, parlamentarias de la Comisión de Educación de la Cámara de Diputados y Diputadas, e integrantes de comunidades educativas vinculadas a temas de inclusión y discapacidad.
La mesa de trabajo estará compuesta por equipos técnicos de la Subsecretaría de Educación Superior, SENADIS, DEMRE y representantes de instituciones de educación superior, además de organizaciones de estudiantes con discapacidad y de la sociedad civil. El objetivo del espacio será revisar y proponer políticas públicas enfocadas en la promoción de la inclusión y participación de personas con discapacidad en la educación superior, y sesionará mensualmente. En mayo de 2025 la mesa presentará un informe con orientaciones de política pública.
La ministra de Desarrollo Social y Familia, Javiera Toro, manifestó que “como Gobierno nos hemos trazado desafíos exigentes, con la convicción de implementar un sistema de educación pública, gratuita y de calidad. Esta mesa técnica es señal de esto. La educación superior de las personas con discapacidad es un derecho fundamental, cuyas condiciones de ejercicio deben ser garantizadas por el Estado”.
El subsecretario de Educación Superior, Víctor Orellana, señaló que “la inclusión es parte fundamental del derecho a la educación, no sólo para reconocer los talentos de las y los estudiantes, sino también para que el sistema educativo y las demás personas aprendan de quienes antes estaban fuera. Hemos hecho importantes avances en este sentido, pero todavía queda un camino importante por delante para que todas y todos los estudiantes tengan posibilidad de acceder a una educación superior con accesibilidad universal”.
El director nacional del Servicio Nacional de la Discapacidad, Daniel Concha, manifestó que “la educación es un pilar fundamental para las personas con discapacidad, para su desarrollo en cada etapa vital y el ejercicio de su autonomía. Desde SENADIS queremos darle a la educación inclusiva la mirada de curso de vida, que se ocupe del ingreso, la permanencia y el egreso de los estudiantes y las estudiantes, estableciendo un nexo posible y viable con la inclusión laboral. El convenio que hemos suscrito con la Subsecretaría de Educación Superior y el inicio de esta mesa técnica nos sitúa en el camino de este desafío para la educación inclusiva”.
En tanto, María Ignacia Fuentes, estudiante de Psicología y beneficiaria del Programa de Recursos de Apoyos para Estudiantes con discapacidad de Educación Superior del SENADIS, quien es persona sorda y, actualmente, realiza su práctica profesional en el Centro de Apoyo a Personas Sordas, durante la actividad expresó a través de lengua de señas chilena su mensaje: “Hola, hola… Esta es mi seña, mi nombre es María Ignacia, estoy estudiando psicología clínica, ya son siete años en la Universidad Católica, y quiero agradecer a SENADIS y también a mi Universidad Católica por todo el apoyo. Si no hay SENADIS, si no hay intérprete… cómo puedo aprender, cómo puedo entender a los profesores. Por eso quiero agradecer a la universidad los apoyos, los acompañamientos, los apuntes, la lectura fácil para que pueda entender mejor. Por ejemplo, si no hay apuntes, si no hay ayuda, cómo lo puedo hacer. No puedo mirar (a la intérprete) y leer a la vez. Muchas gracias de verdad por el apoyo. Ya me falta poquito para finalizar”, señaló la estudiante de Psicología, quien ha contado con el servicio de intérprete en lengua de señas chilena, permitiéndole el acceso a sus estudios e información durante su carrera.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted and deepened gender inequalities in academia, especially affecting women scholars. This context led to the creation of the Feminist Network of the Social Sciences in Chile.
The Feminist Network of the Social Sciences aims to promote a feminist and dignified academia, centered on gender equality as a fundamental human right and as a core principle in the production and access to knowledge.
The research is based on self-training activities, critical reflection, and collective discussion carried out by this Network between the second half of 2021 and the first half of 2022, following a collaborative feminist approach.
Strategies are proposed to promote a decentralized, decolonial, and feminist academia, structured around four key pillars:
Equity and justice in the production of knowledge;
Dignified working conditions;
Work environments free of harassment;
Democratization of access to knowledge.
These strategies may have practical applications, such as use by academic institutions seeking structural change, as pedagogical material in gender-focused social science courses, or as a tool for collective reflection to foster new inclusive dynamics.
Although the focus is on women in academia, the proposals are recognized as relevant for other marginalized groups (e.g., based on class, ethnicity, territory, or disability). The article is presented as an open contribution to the academic community, aimed at promoting structural change through concrete practices.
Notes:
The following summary was prepared by Núcleo Milenio DISCA and is based exclusively on the original publication. Therefore, it should not be used for citations or references.