The 2010 Chilean National Disability Law

Abstract

The overarching goal of the Ley Nacional de Discapacidad (LND; National Disability Law [NDL]) enacted by Chile in 2010 is to facilitate “positive effects on Quality of Life (QOL) for individuals with disabilities” through the promotion of personal relationships, personal development, social inclusion, rights, and self-determination. Of the components linked to QOL in the 2010 law, self-determination may impose the most complex challenge to implement in Chilean society. Self-determination can be viewed as a social value, an individual skill set, or a personal outcome. Self-determination is discussed in relation to Chile’s collectivistic society, its history of disability rights, and to Person-Centered Planning, an approach that may enable Chile to fulfill the mandate of its NDL while balancing collectivistic and individualistic values.