countries - Belgium

The information contained on this page was compiled in April 2009 by our country team.

Contact:
Patrick Devlieger
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
www.kuleuven.be
Patrick.Devlieger@soc.kuleuven.be

The full text can be downloaded here.

The key national bodies with responsibility for disability law and policy implementation include:

There is a Secretary of State for People with Disabilities but most disability policy falls within the separate jurisdictions of the Flemish Community, the Walloon Region, the French Community, Commission of the Brussels-Capital Region and the German-speaking Community.

Belgium has ratified the United Nations Convention and the Optional Protocol.

Key features of the national system include (including adapted items from the MISSOC database December 2008):

Disability benefits

Disability benefits fall under the responsibility of the Federal Service for Social Security. The objective of Social Assistance is to ensure that everyone has the right to a basic level of income.

Data on population indicate that:

The population of Belgium is 10.666.866 (January 1, 2008). The age structure is 22,99% between 0-19 years, 59,95% between 20-64 years, and 17,06% 65 years and older. The average age is 39,8 years.

Culture and Disability International Network (CADIN)

The national organisation representing disabled people at the European level (European Disability Forum) is:

Belgian Disability Forum asbl (BDF)
Finance Tower
Bd. du Jardin Botanique 50, bte 150
1000 Bruxelles
bdf@minsoc.fed.be
Tél.:+32 (0)2 509 83 58

Useful sources of more detailed information about the situation of disabled people, and the policies and support available, include:

R. Kennes, ed. (2001). Inclusief beleid voor personen met een handicap. Voorbeelden uit de beleidspraktijk. Leuven: Acco.