Accessibility Laws

Accessibility Laws & Regulations of Different Countries

Every country in this world advocates for equal accessibility and avoid discrimination. Almost all major countries have enacted some laws to achieve accessibility of information to people with disabilities. In this article we have presented a comprehensive list of accessibility laws and regulations of different countries.

Country/AreaLaws/ActsLanguage
AfghanistanLaw on Disability Rights and PrivilegesArabic
AlbaniaLaw No. 8626 of 22 June 2000 on the Status of Paraplegic and TetraplegicAlbanian
Law No. 44/2012 on mental HealthAlbanian
AlgeriaAct on the protection and promotion of persons with disabilities, adopted on 8 May 2002, Official Gazette No. 34/2002French
AndorraLaw guaranteeing the rights of persons with disabilitiesCatalan
AngolaLaw 21/12, of 30 July 2012, Law on Persons with DisabilitiesPortuguese
Antigua and BarbudaDisabilities And Equal Opportunities Bill, 2017English
ArgentinaLaw No. 22431 Comprehensive protection system for the disabled (1981)Spanish
Law No. 24314 on accesibility for persons with limited mobilitySpanish
Law No. 24204 on public telephony for the hard of eharingSpanish
ArmeniaLaw of the Republic of Armenia “On social protection of persons with disabilities in the Republic of Armenia”  adopted in 1993English
AustraliaThe Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (DDA) English
AustriaFederal Disability Equality Act (BGBl. I No. 82/2005)German
AzerbaijanLaw on prevention of disabilities and impaired health of children and rehabilitation and social protection of the disabled and children with impaired health 
BahamasPersons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities) Act, 2014English
BahrainLaw No. 74 of 2006 regulating the care and employment of persons with disabilities Arabic
BangladeshDisability Welfare Act (2001)English
Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act 2013.Bangla
BelarusLaw of the Republic of Belarus of November 11, 1991, No. 1224-XII “On Social Protection of Disabled Persons of the Republic of Belarus”Russian
BelgiumReform Act on disability and introducing a new protected status in accordance with human dignityFrench
The Act of 27 February 1987 on disability allowances 
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)General Law for Persons with Disabilities (2012)Spanish
Bosnia and HerzegovinaLaws on pension and disability insuranceSerbian
BrazilLaw No. 13,146 on Inclusion of People with Disabiltiies (Person with Disabilities Statute) (2015)Portuguese
Brunei DarussalamOld Age and Disability Pensions Law 1955/Revised Version 1984English
BulgariaLaw on the Integration of Persons with Disabilities of 01 January 2005English
Burkina FasoLaw No. 012-2010/AN of 1 April, 2010 on the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilitiesFrench
CambodiaLaw on the Protection and the Promotion of the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesEnglish (unofficial translation)
CameroonLaw No 2010/002 of 13 April 2010 on the protection and promotion of persons with disabilitiesFrench
Decree No. 2018/6233 fixing the procedures for the application of Law N° 2010/002 of 13 April 2010 on the protection and promotion of persons with disabilities English
CanadaServices and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008English
ChadLaw No. 007/PR/2007 Bearing Protection for Disabled PersonsFrench
ChileLaw 20,422 establishing rules on equal opportunities and social inclusion of persons with disabilities (2010)Spanish
ChinaThe Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Disabled Persons (2008)English
China (Hong Kong)Disability Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 487) (DDO) English
China (Macau)Law 9/83/M of 3 October on the suppression of architectural barriersPortuguese
ColombiaEnacting Law 1618, through which the provisions are established to ensure the full exercise of the rights of persons with disabilties (2013)Spanish
Cook IslandsDisability Act of 2008 English
Costa RicaAct 7600 on Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (1996). Spanish
Law No. 9379 on the Promotion of Personal Autonomy of Persons with Disabilities (2016)Spanish
CroatiaLaw on the Croatian Registry of Persons with Disability (2001)Croatian
Law on Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities (2002)English
Democratic People’s Republic of KoreaLaw on the Protection of Persons with Disabilities 
Dominican RepublicLaw No. 5-13 of 5 January 2013 on Organic Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities Spanish
EcuadorOrganic Law on Disabilities (2012)Spanish
El SalvadorLaw of Equality of Opportunities for Persons with DisabilitiesSpanish
EthiopiaProclamation of the Rights to Employment for Persons with Disabilities No. 568/2008English
FijiFiji National Council for disabled Persons Act 1994English
Act No. 4 of 2018 – Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2018English
FinlandDisability Services Act 380/1987Finnish
Act on Intellectual Disabilities 519/1977Finnish
FranceLaw No. 2005-102 of 11 February 2005 on equal rights, opportunities, participation and citizenship to individuals with disabilitiesFrench
GabonAct No. 19/95 of 13 February 1996 on Social Protection for Persons with DisabilitiesFrench
GeorgiaLaw of Georgia of 16 October 1997 №959 on Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities Georgian
GermanyBook IX of the Social Code ‘Integration and Rehabilitation of Disabled People (SGB IX, 2001)German
Equality for Persons with Disabilities Act (BGG)German
General Act on Equal Treatment Act (AGG)English
GhanaPersons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715)English
GuatemalaDecree No. 135-96 on the law on the care for persons with disabilitiesSpanish
HaitiLaw on the Integration of Persons with Disabilities (2012)French
HondurasLaw on equity and integral development for people with disabilities (2005)Spanish
HungaryDisability act Act XXVI of 1998 on the rights and equal opportunities of
persons with disabilities
Hungarian
IndiaPersons with Disabilities Act 2016English
IndonesiaLaw No. 8/2016 on persons with disabilities Indonesian
Iran (Islamic Republic of)Comprehensive Law on the Protection of Persons with Disabilities of 2004Persian
IraqAct No. 38 of 2013 on Care of Persons with Disabilities and Special NeedsArabic
IsraelEqual Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law 5758-1998 (the “Equal Rights Law”) English
Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities (Service Accessibility Adjustments) Regulations 5773-2013 English
ItalyLaw 104/92 – Framework Law for assistance, social integration and rights of the handicappedItalian
Law 68/99 – Norms for the right to work of the disabledItalian
JamaicaDisabilities Act 2014English
JapanBasic Act for Persons with Disabilities (August 2011)English
Services and Supports for Persons with Disabilities Act (June 2012)English
JordanLaw No. 20 for the year 2017 on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesEnglish
KazakhstanLaw No. 39 of 13 April 2005 on Social Protection of disabled PersonsEnglish
KenyaPersons With Disabilities Act No. 14 of 2003English
LatviaDisability Law Latvian
Lithuania Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Social Integration of Persons with DisabilitiesEnglish (unofficial translation)
LuxemburgLaw No. 169 of 28 July 2011 on the rights of persons with disabilities French
MalawiDisability Act, 2012English
MaldivesProtection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Provision of Financial Assistance (Law No. 8/2010) 
MaltaEqual Opportunities (Persons with Disability) Act English
Marshall IslandsRights of Persons with disabilities Act, 2015English
MauritiusConstitution Article 16English
National Council for Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons Act 
Training and Employment of Disabled Persons ActEnglish
MexicoGeneral Law for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (2011)Spanish
MonacoLaw No. 1.410 of 02 December 2014 for the protection and autonomy and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilitiesFrench
MongoliaLaw on the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2016English
MontenegroLaw on prohibition of discrimination English
MyanmarPyidaungsu Hluttaw Law No. 30/2015 – Law on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesBurmese
NepalAct No. 2039 of 1982 on the  Protection and Welfare of the Disabled PersonsEnglish
NetherlandsAct on Equal Treatment on the Grounds of Disability or Chronic Illness English (Unofficial Translation)
New ZealandNew Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000English
NicaraguaLaw No. 763 on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2011)Spanish
NigerOrdinance No. 93-012 of 2 March 1993 
Ordinance No. 2010-028 of 20 May 2010 
NigeriaDiscrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018English
NorwayAnti-Discrimination and Accessibility Act (No. 42 of 2008).Norwegian
OmanWelfare and Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act 2008Arabic
PalauThe Disabled Person’s Anti-Discrimination Act English
PanamaLaw 15 of 31 May 2016 ammending Law 42 of 1999 on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with DisabilitiesSpanish
ParaguayLaw 4692 establishing benefits for employers for the incorporation of persons with disabilities in the private sectorSpanish
Law 122/90 establishing rights and privileges for persons with disabilitiesSpanish
PeruGeneral Law for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (2012)Spanish
PhilippinesRepublic Act No. 7277 – Magna Carta for Persons with DisabilitiesEnglish
PolandAct on Vocational and Social Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled PeoplePolish
PortugalFramework Act 38/2004 of 18 August – General Basis of the Legal System for Prevention, Habilitation, Rehabilitation and Participation of Persons with DisabilitiesPortuguese
QatarPersons with Special Needs Act No. 2 of 2004English
Republic of KoreaAct on the Prohibition of Discrimination of Disabled PersonsEnglish
Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities English
Republic of MoldovaLaw No. 60 of 30.03.2012 on the social inclusion of persons with disabilitiesRomanian
Republic of North MacedoniaLaw on Employment of Persons with Disability 
Law on Civilian Invalids of War 
The Rulebook on Assessing Specific Needs of Persons with Physical or Mental Disabilities 
RomaniaLaw no. 448/2006 Regarding the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Disabled PersonsEnglish
Russian FederationLaw No. 181-FZ of 24 November 1995 on Social Protection of the Disabled (as amended on 02 July 2013)Russian
RwandaLaw No. 01/2007 of 20 January 2007 Relating to the Protection of Persons with Disabilities in GeneralEnglish
Saudi ArabiaDisability Law 2000Arabic
SenegalSocial orientation law no.2010-15 of July 6, 2010French
SerbiaLaw on Prevention of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (LPDPD) – Official Gazette of RS No. 33/06Serbian
Law on Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities (LPREPD) – Official Gazette of RS No. 36/09Serbian
Sierra LeonePersons with Disability Act, 2011English
SloveniaThe Law on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities (ZZRZ)ISlovenian
The Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Act (ZIMI)Slovenian
South AfricaCode of Good Practice: Key Aspects on the Employment of People with DisabilitiesEnglish
The South African Library for the Blind ActEnglish
SpainAct No. 13/1982 of 7 April 1982 on social integration of the handicapped Spanish
Act No. 51/2003 of 2 December 2003 on equality of opportunity, nondiscrimination and universal accessibility for persons with disabilities Spanish
Sri Lanka1996 Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act No. 28 English
SudanPersons with Disabilities Act of 2009Arabic
SwedenAct concerning Support and Service to Persons with Certain Functional Disabilities (LSS) English
SwitzerlandFederal Act on the Elimination of Discrimination against People with DisabilitiesEnglish
TanzaniaPersons with Disabilities Act (2010)English
ThailandThe Persons with Disabilities Empowerment Act B.E. 2550 (2007) English (unofficial translation)
TogoAct No. 2004-005 of 23 April 2004 on the social protection of disabled personsFrench
Trinidad and TobagoEqual Opportunity Act of 2000English
TunisiaLaw No. 83 of 15 August 2005 on the advancement and protection of persons with disabilitiesArabic
TurkeyTurkish Disability Act (TDA) No. 5378 of 2005English
UgandaPersons with Disabilities Act (2006)English
National Council for Disability Act (2003)English
UkraineLaw “On Basics of Social Protection for the Disabled in Ukraine”Ukrainian
United Arab EmiratesFederal Law No. 29 of 2006 In Respect of The Rights of People with Special NeedsEnglish
Law No. (3) of 2022 Concerning the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Emirate of DubaiEnglish | Arabic
United KingdomEquality Act 2010English
United StatesAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amendedEnglish
 Rehabilitation Act of 1973 – As Amended Through P.L. 114–95, Enacted 10 December 2015English
 Individuals with Disabilities Education ActEnglish
UruguayLaw No.29973 – General Law on Persons with Disabilities Spanish
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofPersons with Disabilities Act of 29 December 2006.Spanish
18,651 Comprehensive Protection Act of Persons with Disabilities (2010)Spanish
Viet NamLaw on Persons with Disabilities (No. 51/2010/QH12)English
Decree 28/2012/ND-CP dated April 10th 2012 of the Government guiding the implementation of some articles of the Law on Persons with DisabilitiesVietnamese

Source: United Nations

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