Health care for handicapped adolescents: international legislative and policy trends

Between 1970-1976, 45 countries enacted or made adjustments to laws on health care for the handicapped. This article explores some of the legal arrangements made to address the issue of health care for the handicapped adolescent. It reviews the legal definition of "handicapped" and analyzes the legislative support created for health care programs. Most programs are comprehensive. They focus on prevention, detection and reporting, as well as treatment and rehabilitation. Better care for disabled adolescents is one of the more important intended results of recent legislation directed to the handicapped. Rehabilitation has been increasingly recognized as a right. Prevention is an increasing focus. Legislation, however important, is only a beginning; it expresses the political will be create programs to address the issue. The challenge is to implement the law.