Brazil launches plan to help disabled people

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff launched on Thursday a nationwide plan aimed at the social inclusion of disabled people. The so-called Living without Limits Plan foresees an investment of 7.6 billion reais (4.27 billion U.S. dollars) until 2014, to be used in several fields to integrate Brazilians with disabilities in the society. According to the government, the plan's actions are focused on education, health, social inclusion and accessibility. The plan foresees an investment of 1.8 billion reais (1.01 billion U.S. dollars) to adapt public schools and universities to disabled students, and hire more sign language teachers and distribute specially adapted school buses to ensure that disabled students can go to school. The government will also offer qualification to 150,000 people with disabilities and implement a program to help disabled people in extreme poverty. The number of training centers for guide dogs will increase from two to five. The resources for Guthrie tests, which help discover abnormalities and congenital health conditions in newborns, will be increased, as well as the resources to orthotics, prosthetics, and rehabilitation centers. According to the 2010 Census, released on Wednesday, 23.9 percent of Brazilians have some sort of physical or mental disability or impairment. A total of 6.7 percent (12.7 million people) reported some kind of severe disability.