As part of the debate about the Disability Emergency Actthe discussion about the System operation has gained importance again due to the lawyer’s statements Marta Lastrawhich warned of sustained deterioration linked to non-compliance current regulations, the delay in updating benefits and the lack of sustainable public policies.
In dialogue with Córdoba profilepointed out that the situation has an immediate impact on people Disabled people, their families and hundreds of providers across the province and in the rest of the country. Lastra explained that the problem has recently gotten worse two years due to the delay in updating the national nomenclator that determines the value of benefits
“The disability system has been completely backwards for two years. The last update was in November 2024 0.05%“, he claimed, contrasting this data with the growth in prepaid payments, which – he stated – has already increased by 10% 300% in the first year of the current national administration.
In this context, Lastra warned that “the disability system is in danger of disappearing,” a concern he also expressed in his text. David against the giant of oblivion: the fight for the emergency law for the disabledwhere he describes the national scope of the crisis.
There are more than 400,000 people with disabilities in the province
In Cordovathe crisis affects around 200,000 people with disabilitiesto which are added their families and workers in the industry. “At least twice as many people are affected, in many cases even four times as many, because entire families and work groups are affected,” explained Lastra.
Lastra stated that there are around 329 disability-related institutions operating in the provincial territory, including homes, day centers, therapeutic education centers, special schools, nursing homes and sheltered workshops. “We are talking about homes, special schools and workshops that today cannot cover basic costs such as food, diapers, therapy or staff salaries,” he warned.
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From a legal point of view, Lastra stressed that “to achieve an emergency law, it is essential to have no budgetary allocations and constant non-compliance with current legislation”, a situation that – as he warned – is fully present today.
In this sense, he warned of the consequences that the closure of private and municipal institutions could have. “If these rooms are closed, Where are these people going? The state does not have the appropriate equipment. They will be knocking on the door of public health and there is no capacity to meet this demand,” he said.
Positioning against the national government
On the other hand, in his analysis, Lastra distinguished the current national leadership from all previous governments. “Since 1981, everyone has contributed with tools to strengthen the disability system. Menem, Kirchner, Fernández, even Macrithey made modifications that maintained it. “This is the only government that is attacking him,” he said, referring to President Javier Milei.
“The emergency law exists because There is no budget and because applicable laws are not being followed. Milei did not convene the board, which must update the nomenclature and govern with expanded budgets to decide at its own discretion,” he said.
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Lastra also warned of the concrete consequences for families in Córdoba. “There are such things in Córdoba Waiting lists in special schools and therapy centers. If you need an institution and There is a waiting list, the system is failing“, he explained.
In this sense, he claimed that “a decision or omission that affects one institution has an impact on the entire system.”
The legal framework
From a legal perspective, the lawyer warned that the current crisis in the disability system is not only budgetary in nature, but also i.elegal and institutionaland alleged that the state has failed to comply with key norms governing the matter for decades.
In his text, Lastra pointed out that, first of all, “two laws that determine the state’s action on disability issues” were ignored. One of them is this Law 22,431sanctioned in 1981which establishes the comprehensive protection of people with disabilities and establishes that it is the state itself that must ensure their care and rights.
The second key rule is Law 24.901valid since 1997which determines the comprehensive coverage of social welfare and healthcare services. According to Lastra, this legislation – along with its subsequent amendments – was designed to ensure effective access to necessary treatment, education, rehabilitation and support.
Added to this regulatory framework are “numerous executive orders and decrees that contributed to strengthening the system, regardless of political affiliation“, with a common goal: “to ensure the rights of people with disabilities in general and to strengthen the institutions created.”
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