Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) and the Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities: The Brazilian Experience

Abstract

This article describes and examines possible links between the difficulties experienced by people with disabilities in Brazil and the Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) proposal, which is understood here as a set of practices aimed at expanding access to health care and rehabilitation. It reports some experiences developed in Brazilian cities such as projects and/or local initiatives, which included the participation of occupational therapists. This article also discusses the contributions of occupational therapists to Brazilian CBR programs, highlighting their abilities to identify and characterize the needs of people with disabilities, the needs of their families and the community, from a comprehensive perspective, and to encourage their participation in meaningful activities and in finding local solutions for existing problems. This article supports the idea that the aim of occupational therapy is to build processes of emancipation and social integration for people with disabilities, their families and community; processes which consider the need for achieving and exercising human rights.