[Disability certification as a tool for gaining access to human rights and social participation]

Given that one of the main reasons prioritising public policy agendas is related to implementing action responding to the increase in the prevalence of disability and the violation people of such people's rights, governments in many parts of the world have advanced disability certification as a tool for claiming rights, seeking to comply with the principles of dignity, liberty, equality and non-discrimination regarding this population. Certification of disability In Colombia is novel and has been introduced to meet the provisions of national and international standards regarding handicapped people's rights. A first approach has thus been made through developing a disability certification manual aimed at healthcare institutions and professionals forming interdisciplinary teams; it was developed by assessing disabled people voluntarily undergoing certification and thus becoming a tool for claiming rights, facilitating access to services and benefits in terms of equity and social inclusion.