Disability in Spain

Disability in Spain is characterised by an aging population, thus an increasing proportion of disabled citizens. Social services are provided by regional and municipal authorities. Several laws protect the interests of disabled people, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which Spain signed and ratified in 2007. Disability culture features an active performing and visual arts sector which is supported by government policy and funding. Disabled sport in Spain has a long history but was boosted by the fact that the country hosted the 1992 Summer Paralympics in Barcelona and Madrid, and started a lot of policy and structural changes since the 1990s.