Disability Rights Stalled in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Mexico — The year 2025 saw no progress in securing rights for people with disabilities, according to the civil association Vida Positiva.

Rafael Barragán Vázquez, founder of Vida Positiva, considered that last year was a setback for this sector of the population, primarily because legislators and other public administration figures have not accelerated processes for their benefit.

“It has been a very tough year for us because, to give you an example, parking centers were taken over and even in gyms there was a place where there was no spot for people with disabilities in Playa del Carmen to exercise,” stated Rafael Barragán.

He recalled the pronouncement of the United Nations General Assembly through resolution 47/3. Its objective is to promote the rights and well-being of people with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, as well as to raise awareness about their situation in all aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural life.

The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) reports that in Quintana Roo there are 66,887 people with some disability, meaning 3.6% of its population records one; likewise, Benito Juárez has 31,902 people with disabilities, 11,215 in Othón P. Blanco, and 8,345 in the municipality of Solidaridad, with these three political territories leading the figures in the state.

Barragán Vázquez considered that the lack of awareness in society across all its sectors is the limiting factor preventing this group from enjoying their rights.

These benefits should be provided by the Mexican State, but not only to them, but to all vulnerable groups that exist in Quintana Roo and the municipality of Solidaridad.

Currently, the organization he leads works with 22 young people, who have some disability, primarily motor disabilities.