Disability and rehabilitation in Mexico

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Demographics

Background:

• The 2010 Mexican National Census identified 5.7 million persons with disabilities (5.1% of the population).
• Women constitute 51.1% of the disabled population, with nearly 60% of individuals aged 85 and older reporting disabilities.
• Existing policies support disability rights, yet a gap exists in understanding the lived experiences and rehabilitation needs of this population in Mexico.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence of disability in Mexico using 2010 census data.
• To investigate the unmet needs for rehabilitation services among persons with disabilities.
• To evaluate an innovative model for delivering first-level rehabilitation services.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 13th National Census of Population and Housing (2010).
• Employed the Washington Group on Disability Statistics recommendations for disability assessment.
• Analyzed the implementation and impact of a new model of small, first-level rehabilitation services.

Main Results:

• 5,739,270 individuals (5.1%) were identified with disabilities, with women comprising 51.1%.
• A significant proportion of older adults (nearly 60% of those 85+) reported disabilities.
• An innovative rehabilitation service model successfully increased service capacity by 60% since 2003.

Conclusions:

• The 2010 census provides crucial data on disability prevalence in Mexico.
• There is a need to address the real-life situations and rehabilitation requirements of persons with disabilities.
• The implemented innovative model demonstrates a successful strategy for expanding rehabilitation service capacity.