Frequently Asked Questions

Updated: 10-08-2020

How can I report a situation where accessibility is not guaranteed?

When the complaints relate to facilities and spaces surrounding the central public administration and public institutes that are personalised services or public funds, the complaint must be sent to the INR, I.P. entity responsible for monitoring compliance with technical accessibility standards.

If the complaints relate to facilities and spaces surrounding the local government, the Inspectorate-General of Finance (IGF) is responsible for monitoring the duties imposed on the respective local government entities.

Where the complaint relates to the premises of a private entity, the municipal councils are responsible for monitoring the above rules with regard to the obligations imposed on individuals.

Do I need an access ramp or lift platform to access my home who is responsible for its placement? Do I need permission from the condominium?

With regard to the placement of access ramp or lift platform the responsibility lies with the co-owners concerned. Thus, a household with a person with restricted mobility may, subject to prior notification to the administrator (15 days in advance), and without express authorisation from the administrator, make the following innovations, provided that it complies with the technical accessibility standards (Decree-Law No 163/2006):

• Laying of access ramps;
• Placement of lift platforms, where there is no lift with a door and cab of dimensions allowing its use by a person in a wheelchair.

In the costs related to access ramps and lifting platforms, when placed in the terms referred to above, only the co-owners who have made their placement participate. However, any co-owner may at any time participate in the advantages by paying his share of the costs of execution and maintenance.

My building does not have guaranteed accessibility, who has the responsibility to ensure its accessibility?

If the constraint is on the public highway, the responsibility lies with the municipality in question. However, with regard to the placement of ramps for access to the building, the responsibility lies with the co-owners concerned, safeguarding that with regard to the works, whenever they occupy public roads, the City Council must be asked for the appropriate authorization.

Updated: 10-08-2020

How does the quota system work in public procurement for persons with disabilities?

In the event that the number of vacancies available is less than 3, preference shall be given, in the event of equal ranking, to the candidate with a disability, taking precedence over any other legal preference. Where the number of posts is 3 or more, and up to 10 vacancies, a quota of 5% of the total number of posts put out to tender shall be fixed.

When applying to the public administration under the quota system do I have to take the selection tests?

Yes, it is mandatory to obtain approval in all of them.

Updated: 10-08-2020

How can I purchase a support product financed by the System for the Allocation of Support Products (SAPA) through the Social Security Institute (ISS, I.P.)?

Through prescription made in the Specialized Centers of the Institute of Social Security, I.P. (ISS, I.P.) whose financing is carried out with the District Center of Social Security (CDSS) of the area of residence of the person with disabilities where you must request information on the documentation to be submitted and respective procedures.

Where can I find out which support products can be funded through the Support Product Assignment System (SAPA)?

Periodically, an order is published in the Diário da República (Portuguese Official Gazette), which identifies all the products that can be considered for financing for this year as well as the medical prescription support products or by a multidisciplinary team. The current order is the Order No 7197/2016.

Do I need support products for my training and employment what should I do?

Support products for training and employment are prescribed by a multidisciplinary technical team in the Resource Centres of the Institute of Employment and Vocational Training, I.P. (IEFP, I.P.) or by the Centre of Vocational Training of Alcoitão, provided that the support products in question are not the responsibility of the training entity and/or employer. The funding is carried out with the Employment Centre of the area of residence of the person with disabilities where you should request information on the documentation to be submitted and the respective procedures.

How can I get school support products?

Under the Directorate-General for Education (DGE), support products are intended for children and young people with disabilities and disabilities in the school context. Schools identify students in need of support products and the Technology, Information and Communication Resource Centre (CRTIC) in their geographical area and assess students for the purpose of awarding support products. Funding is provided through the EGO.

Do Hospital Units also prescribe Support Products through the Support Product Assignment System (SAPA)? Support products designated by the Ministry of Health may be prescribed in hospitals in accordance with the medical specialty included in the approved list of support products annexed to the Order 7197/2016 This is the entity that finances the respective support product.

Can I purchase a support product and request reimbursement from SAPA funders?

In the investigation of processes for financing support products under SAPA, receipts for previously purchased support products are not accepted except for the repair of support products under the terms defined by the funding entity.

Is there any direct contact for clarification of matters related to Support Products?

For matters directly related to support products, you can use the mailbox produtosdeapoio@inr.mtsss.pt established by the National Institute for Rehabilitation.

Updated: 10-08-2020

Who can use the parking card?

The community model parking card for persons with disabilities is intended for:

• A person with a motor, physical or organic disability who, due to changes in the structure and functions of the body, congenital or acquired, has a permanent functional limitation of a degree equal to or greater than 60%, assessed by the National Table of Disabilities, provided that such disability makes it difficult for him to travel on public roads without the assistance of others or without recourse to means of compensation, including prostheses and orthotics, wheelchairs, crutches and walking sticks or in access to and use of conventional public transport;
• The person with intellectual disability and the person with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) with a degree of disability equal to or greater than 60%;
• The person with visual impairment, with a permanent change in the field of vision equal to or greater than 95%, assessed by the National Table of Disabilities.

Where can I apply for the community model parking card for people with disabilities?

The Parking Card must be requested by the interested party or those who represent it, at the Instituto da Mobilidade e Transportes, IP (IMT, IP), requesting it by electronic means on the website or in person, at any IMT, IP service point, including at Lojas do Cidadão.

Updated: 10-08-2020

What is Early Childhood Intervention (IPI)?

Early Intervention is a set of integrated support measures focused on the child and the family, including actions of a preventive and rehabilitative nature, namely in the field of education, health and social action.

How can a child be flagged for early intervention?

Simply fill in the Child Referral Form and send it to the Local Intervention Team (ELI) in the child’s geographical area – see the Directorate-General for Health’s website under the Early Intervention tab.

How can I find out which local early intervention team is in my area of residence?

To know the list of local early intervention teams you can consult the website of the Directorate-General for Health, under the Early Intervention tab.

Updated: 10-08-2020

Can I request a change/reduction of hours?

Yes, the labour code enshrines the possibility for the worker to request flexible working hours or part-time work. Continuous working hours are also provided for employees performing public duties. However, these changes require the agreement of the employer, with the worker being excused only from the period of overtime and night work.

As a person with disabilities, can I take time off work because of illness without being harmed by it?

In case of temporary incapacity due to illness due to disability or chronic illness, absences do not imply the total loss of daily remuneration in the first 3 days of temporary incapacity and in situations of interpolated or consecutive absences. From the fourth to the twentieth day there is also no loss of 10% of the daily remuneration stipulated for the general scheme. It is also safeguarded, the non-application of any discount on seniority for career purposes when absences due to illness exceed 30 consecutive or interpolated days in each calendar year.

How can I request the adaptation of my job?

The employer shall promote the adoption of appropriate measures to enable a person with a disability or chronic illness to have access to, participate in, or advance in employment, or to receive vocational training, unless such measures would impose a disproportionate burden on the employer. The measures can be supported by the State, and the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP, I.P.) has the task of promoting the adaptation of jobs among private entities.

Updated: 10-08-2020

Law No 4/2019 of 10 January 2019 – What is it about?

Law No 4/2019 of 10 January 2019 established the system of employment quotas for people with disabilities, with a degree of disability equal to or greater than 60%, with a view to their recruitment by employers in the private sector, as well as by public sector bodies that are not covered by Decree-Law No 29/2001 of 3 February 2001.

Persons with disabilities covered / For whom is it intended?

Persons with disabilities with a degree of disability equal to or greater than 60% may benefit from the employment quota system established in Law No. 4/2019, of 10 January, who:

• are able to carry out, without functional limitations, the activity for which they are applying;
• with functional limitations, these can be overcome by adapting or adapting the workplace and/or supporting products;
• having reduced working capacity, the functional limitations that are evident are overcome by the adequacy of the job, through the introduction of adjustments in the work process and the tasks assigned to it.

How can I prove my eligibility for the job quota?

Eligibility for quota law purposes is evidenced by the following documents:

• Multipurpose Medical Disability Certificate (issued by Medical Committee);
• Similar document (issued by the Armed Forces, PSP or GNR).

The document must show a degree of disability equal to or greater than 60%.

Which Employers are covered?

• medium-sized enterprises or other private-law employers, with a number of employees between 75 and 249;
• large enterprises or other private-law employers with 250 or more employees;
• Public sector entities not covered by Decree-Law No 29/2001 of 3 February 2001,* which employ 75 or more employees and which for this purpose are treated as undertakings.

* Central and local government services and bodies, as well as public institutes which do not have the character of personalised services of the State or public funds.

How is the size of the company/employer determined for the purposes of the Law

To determine the type of company/employer with regard to size, the number of employees corresponding to the average of the previous calendar year is calculated. For this purpose, all employees are counted, including temporary agency workers assigned in accordance with the Labour Code (*).

In the case of companies/employer entities that start their activity, the number of workers to be taken into account for the application of the Law is the one existing in the year of the beginning of the activity.

(*) Note: For this purpose, temporary agency workers are counted either in the temporary employment business (since they are its employees) or in the user undertaking, in accordance with the final part of Article 189(2) of the Labour Code).

What percentage of workers with disabilities employers are obliged to employ under the Quota Act

• medium-sized enterprises and equivalent private-sector or public-sector employers employing between 75 and 249 workers – they must employ at least 1 % of their staff with disabilities;
• Large enterprises and equivalent private or public law employers employing 250 or more workers must employ at least 2 % of their staff with disabilities.

Where the percentage results in a non-whole number, it shall be rounded up to the next whole number.

How is the number of employees with disabilities required by the employer calculated?

To determine the number of workers with disabilities to which the employer is obliged, the average number of employees is taken into account, excluding trainees, trainees, service providers and temporary agency workers (in the case of user undertakings). Disabled workers assigned to temporary agency work shall be counted towards the fulfilment of the quota in the temporary employment agency.

The verification of compliance with the quota is made in the following year, based on the information contained in the Single Report submitted by the employer, and takes into account the average number of employees in the year to which the Single Report relates.

In the case of employers with one or more permanent establishments or representations and delegations, all employees of the various establishments, representations or delegations are counted.

(See also question 17)

From what date is compliance with the quota for workers with disabilities mandatory?

Compliance with the quota for workers with disabilities by the employers covered is mandatory from the following dates:

• Employers with more than 100 employees - 1 February 2023;
• Employers with between 75 and 100 employees - 1 February 2024.

What are the obligations of employers until the date from which compliance with the quota for workers with disabilities is mandatory (transition period)?

Between 1 January 2020 and the date from which compliance with the quota is mandatory, employers must ensure that at least 1% of admissions (annually concluded employment contracts) are made with persons with disabilities.

How can I prove compliance with the hiring percentage during the transition period?

During the transition period, if the employer wishes, it may, inter alia, ask the Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional, I.P. (IEFP) for a declaration concerning the offers submitted in the previous year (i.e. for the years 2020 to 2022 or 2023, as applicable).

Are employers with fewer than 75 employees obliged to comply with the quota?

No, employers with fewer than 75 employees are not required to meet the quota.

An enterprise that, at any date after January 2020, becomes a medium-sized enterprise with a number of employees of 75 or more, or a large enterprise with 250 or more employees, will have an additional period of 2 years to adapt.

How can I obtain applicants for quota law enforcement purposes?

Formalizing a job offer, through the iefponline Portal in https://iefponline.iefp.pt/IEFP/index2.jsp. Following the communication of the offer, the Job Centres begin the process of dissemination and recruitment.

For the purpose of presenting candidates with disabilities, the IEFP takes into account the functional profile required by the employer, namely, the academic and professional qualifications required for the job or position, regardless of disability.

Note: The assessment of the conditions under which the person with disabilities may exercise the professional activity will be carried out by the employer with the technical support of the IEFP, through the Resource Center team, if necessary. This assessment takes into account the concrete conditions under which the tasks are carried out, identifying which activities it could carry out, how and with what adaptations.

Updated in February 2025.

Is there technical support for employers who have to adapt or adapt jobs?

Yes. Technical support to employers who hire people with disabilities is a responsibility of IEFP, through Employment Centres and Employment and Vocational Training Centres, which may resort to the support of entities accredited by them as Resource Centres.

Technical support can take the form of post-placement monitoring during the first year of the contract, which includes, in particular:

• Technical support in adapting and adapting the workstation and removing architectural barriers;
• Support for the integration of the person into the social and working environment of the company;
• Providing information to the worker, employer and co-workers in order to create an inclusive environment.

Employers who admit or intend to admit a person with disabilities and want technical support for adjustment or adaptation of jobs can request it from the Employment Center of the area where the establishment where the person will develop its activity is located (see the network of services at https://www.iefp.pt/redecentros).

To this end, employers must complete and send to the Employment Centre the form "Resource Centre - Request for Post-placement Monitoring (APC)" available on the IEFP portal at https://www.iefp.pt/formularios.

How is the IEFP's technical support effective?

Following the request for technical support from the employer, made at the Employment Centre of the area where the establishment where the person will develop his activity is located, the Employment Centre:

• verify whether there is already a person with a disability employed or identified for the purpose of employment;
• Calls for the intervention of the Resource Centre to support its intervention in the field of disability and rehabilitation in the context of post-placement monitoring;
• Inform the employer of the person in the Resource Centre who will provide the technical support by arranging a first meeting with the presence of the employer’s representative and the Resource Centre.

Following the request of the Employment Centre, the competent Resource Centre shall:

• Informs the Job Centre of the person who will ensure or coordinate the support to the entity;
• Starts the support by liaising with the company's contact person;
• Prepares the work plan, together with the entity, and its schedule, referring it to the Employment Centre;
• It prepares a report, forwarding it to the Employment Centre, after completion of the process of adjustment or adaptation of the job, which contains information on the need for post-placement monitoring to continue until the end of the maximum period provided for.

How are candidates with disabilities selected? Is it possible to get technical support?

The selection process for candidates with disabilities should be appropriate, in the different strands, to their communication/expression skills.

Once the skills, abilities and aptitudes to be assessed have been identified, the employer must choose the techniques and tests, tests or other tools that are appropriate to the communication/expression skills of candidates with disabilities, or adapt the method of application to their characteristics.

If the employer needs technical support to assess the adequacy of the selection techniques and methods, it may request the intervention of the National Institute for Rehabilitation, I.P. (INR), which will provide the technical support that may be requested, and the request must be made with the minimum notice necessary to comply with the timetable set by the entity, through a form made available on the INR, I.P. website).

Are there any exceptions in the quota law?

The Act provides for two exceptions:

• Exception relating to the application of the Law. Employers may be exempted from the application of the Law if they can prove that it is actually impossible to apply it to their jobs.

This exception may apply to all or some of the employer’s jobs, depending on their characteristics.

To this end, employers must apply to the ACT for an exception.

In order to instruct the process before the ACT, employers must request a prior opinion from the INR, I.P., which, if necessary, will request the support of the IEFP.

The request for a prior opinion to be submitted to the INR, I.P. is made on a specific form, made available on its website. portal, which, once completed, must be sent electronically to the following address: INR-quotas.emprego.privados@inr.mtsss.pt It must be accompanied by substantiated information proving that it is actually impossible to apply quotas to their jobs, in particular on goods and services produced, number of establishments, organisation chart, job description, conditions of accessibility and mobility of the company, sector(s) of the company and jobs that cannot be occupied by people with disabilities.

The decision is taken by the Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) on the basis of the opinion of the INR.

The ACT’s exception decision remains in force as long as the conditions on which it was based are maintained.

Download the form here.

• Exception relating to compliance with the quota. Employers can be exempted from compliance with the quota (percentage of workers with disabilities), from the date on which compliance is mandatory (see question 8), if they prove to the ACT that there were no candidates with disabilities, namely registered with the IEFP, who met the necessary requirements to fill the offers they submitted in the previous year.

In order to be exempted from compliance with the quota, employers must prove this situation, in particular, by means of a statement from the IEFP confirming this situation. The IEFP only issues this declaration regarding the job offers presented to it, for which employers will have to resort to the IEFP to meet their needs of hiring workers, without prejudice to other forms of recruitment they adopt. In this context, with a view to its submission to the ACT, at the beginning of January of each year, the IEFP issues a declaration, which is sent to the management area of the entities registered in the Portal. Iefponline, who have communicated offers flagged under Law No 4/2019 of 10 January 2019 in the previous year and which have not been completed in full. In the case of offers carried over from one year to the next, because it was not possible to complete the recruitment and selection process in the year in which they were communicated, the corresponding declarations are issued as soon as they are closed. Updated in February 2025.

How is the number of disabled workers required by the temporary employment agency calculated?

In order to determine the number of workers with disabilities to which temporary-work agencies, as employers, are obliged, account shall be taken of the average number of employees, including temporary agency workers, excluding trainees, trainees and persons in the provision of services.

(See also question 7)

Updated: 10-08-2020

I have a disability/disability: Am I entitled to the Moderating Fee Exemption?

Citizens with a degree of incapacity equal to or greater than 60%, attested by a medical certificate of multi-use incapacity are exempt from the payment of moderating fees.

Updated: 10-08-2020

As a person with disabilities, am I entitled to a higher education scholarship?

Students enrolled in higher education who can prove that they have a degree of disability equal to or greater than 60% are considered eligible for the award of a scholarship.

The amount of the planned scholarship corresponds to the amount of the tuition fee actually paid.

How can I apply for a higher education grant for people with disabilities?

The application process is carried out through an online form, after accreditation, in the portal for applying for grants for students with disabilities. Applications for this scholarship may be submitted from 25 June, with a view to the following academic year, with the deadline for submission running until 31 May of the academic year to which they relate.

Updated: 10-08-2020

What support is available for people with disabilities with regard to their right to housing?

With regard to housing, there are municipalities that provide support such as social housing and housing rental subsidies. This support is allocated according to the specific criteria set for this purpose by each municipality, by its own regulations.

We would also inform you that the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU, I.P.) offers various rental support programmes, including the possibility of applying for social housing from IHRU. For more information you should contact the authority in question.

Do persons with disabilities have priority in accessing rental or social housing allowances?

In the case of support granted by local authorities, the priorities are set out in a specific regulation, and priority may be given to households with persons with disabilities.

The regulation on access to and allocation of housing of the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU, I.P.) designates the general rules on access to and allocation of housing, in which it is stated that in the process of examining applications for housing allocation there is a ‘verification of the nature and seriousness of the social and housing situation of applicants, in particular on the basis of social reports from local institutions accompanying the household and or through home visits’, and no priority is provided for on the grounds of disability or disability.

Is there any special scheme to protect persons with disabilities from eviction?

The law states that the owner of the property needs to justify the termination with one of the following reasons:

• because of the need for the residential property of the owner or their first-degree descendants;
• In the demolition or execution of deep remodeling or restoration works that require the vacation of the property or that have a cost of 25% of the patrimonial value of the same. But beware, if you invoke this last justification, the landlord will have to deliver the proper proof of the works to the City Council of the area of the property and pay compensation equivalent to two years of rent.

In the case of lease contracts concluded before the New Urban Lease Regime (NRAU - June 2006), and if the citizen has not chosen to apply the regime provided for in the New Urban Lease Regime (NRAU), even if all the requirements for termination of the contract are met, the landlord may not do so, whenever one of the following situations occurs in relation to the authorised tenant or subtenant:

• be 65 years of age or older;
• Retirement on the grounds of absolute invalidity or, if you do not receive an invalidity pension, total incapacity for work.

Is it possible to transfer the tenancy right to a disabled child in the event of death?

Yes, provided that the citizen in question has lived in a common household with his or her parent for the last two years.

Updated: 10-08-2020

Who is entitled to the subsidised housing credit for people with disabilities?

Access to the subsidised housing credit scheme for persons with disabilities for the purchase of permanent owner-occupied housing implies that all of the following conditions are met:

• The persons concerned are over 18 years of age and a disabled person with a degree of disability equal to or greater than 60%, attested by a medical certificate of multipurpose disability;
• the loan is not used for the acquisition of property by relatives in the ascending or descending line of the person concerned;
• no member of the household has another loan for the purposes set out in Article 2 in any subsidised credit scheme;
• The mortgage on the property financed is required and may not be disposed of for a minimum period of five years.

The granting of subsidised credit is dependent on the assessment of the bank made in the general terms of the granting of housing credit, namely the fact that it has income that allows the payment of the credit, as well as compliance with the specific conditions relating to this scheme.

With regard to life insurance, it is regulated that the contracting of life insurance for access to the conditions provided for in the credit for persons with disabilities is not mandatory, it being the understanding of the banks to require such conclusion or not for access to the conditions of the loan.

What situations can subsidised housing loans be applied for?

The subsidised housing loan can be requested for purchase, rehabilitation and housing accessibility works.

Can I apply to change my credit to the subsidised credit scheme for the disabled person?

Yes, as long as the person has only one claim and it has been assigned for the same purposes.

Updated: 10-08-2020

What is it?

Inclusive education, anchored in values such as equity, non-discrimination and appreciation of difference, is the guarantor of respect for diversity, the potential of each student, their rights, interests and needs, as well as access to quality learning and successful educational pathways.

What are the measures contemplated by inclusive education to support the student?

To respond to the educational needs of all pupils throughout their educational path, schools can mobilise a range of measures to support learning and inclusion. These measures aim to ensure the adequacy of the teaching and learning process to the needs and potential of each student.

The above measures are organised into three levels of intervention: universal, selective and additional.

Universal measures include, but are not limited to:

• pedagogical differentiation
• curricular accommodation
• curriculum enrichment
• promoting pro-social behaviour
• intervention with academic or behavioral focus in small groups

The following shall be regarded as selective measures:

• differentiated curricular paths
• non-significant curricular adaptations
• psycho-pedagogical support
• anticipation and reinforcement of learning
• tutorial support

Additional measures are considered to be:

• attendance of the school year by subject
• Significant curricular adaptations
• individual transition plan
• development of structured teaching methodologies and strategies
• development of personal and social autonomy skills

Schools should also ensure that all pupils have the right to participate in the assessment process. To ensure this right, where necessary, adaptations to the evaluation process are made, such as:

• diversification of information-gathering tools (surveys, interviews, video or audio recordings)
• expressed in accessible formats such as braille, relief tables and maps, daisy; digital
• interpretation in Portuguese Sign Language
• use of support products
• additional time to take the test
• transcription of responses
• reading of utterances
• use of separate room
• supervised breaks
• colour identification code in the utterances.

There is also a set of specific organizational resources to support learning and inclusion, of which we highlight:

• Vision reference schools – constitute a specialised educational response in the areas of braille literacy, orientation and mobility, support products for access to the curriculum and activities of daily living and social skills.
• Reference schools for bilingual education - these schools have implemented a bilingual education model that guarantees deaf students linguistic growth, access to the common curriculum and participation in all school activities by ensuring the development of the Portuguese sign language as a first language and the development of the Portuguese language as a second language.

Updated: 10-08-2020

What is AMIM?

The Medical Certificate of Multipurpose Disability is the document that determines, according to the National Table of Disability, the degree of disability.

What's it for?

As a rule, AMIM is the document proving the person's inability to enjoy certain benefits or rights.

Where can I get AMIM?

The person concerned must go to the Health Centre in his/her area of residence and submit an application for an assessment of disability, medical reports and additional diagnostic aids to support it. The AMIM will be issued by the Medical Committee after the assessment of the degree of disability.

Do medical certificates of multipurpose disability and declarations of disability, prior to the publication of Decree-Law No 291/2009 of 12 October 2009, remain valid?

Yes, as long as they certify permanent disabilities, i.e. not subject to reassessment.

What if the same certificates prove the detention of temporary incapacity, having as a condition the reassessment of this at the end of a certain period?

They are also valid as long as the stipulated deadline (set out in the document in question) for reassessment is not exceeded.

Can the review or evaluation of temporary disability result in a lower degree of disability than previously fixed?

In these situations, the most favourable degree of disability is maintained, provided that it relates to the same clinical pathology that determined the attribution of the disability in question.

And if that same procedure results in the attribution of a lower degree of incapacity than that previously certified, applicable to another pathology, and the citizen concerned considers himself cured of the previous clinical pathology?

In these cases, the degree of disability becomes the degree acquired in this last review or reassessment.

Updated: 10-08-2020

The Independent Life Support Model is intended for people with the following characteristics:

• 16 years of age or older;
• Medical Certificate of Multipurpose Disability or Disability Card of the Armed Forces, with a degree of disability of 60% or more;
• With intellectual disability, mental illness or autism spectrum disorder, regardless of the degree of disability.

Where can I register to benefit from the independent living support model?

Can I use this support at my school?

Can I combine this support with other grants?

Updated: 10-08-2020

What is considered discrimination?

Discrimination shall be deemed to be any act that results in the violation of any fundamental rights, or in the refusal or conditioning of the exercise of any rights, by any person, on the grounds of any disability.

In particular, any act or omission, whether culpable or not, which infringes the principle of equality on grounds of disability, such as:

• refusal to supply or impediment to the enjoyment of goods and services;
• preventing or restricting access to and the normal exercise of an economic activity;
• refusal or conditioning of sale, rental or subletting of real estate, as well as access to bank credit for the purchase of housing and refusal or penalty in the conclusion of insurance contracts;
• Refusal or impediment to the use and dissemination of sign language;
• Refusal or limitation of access to the built environment or to public places or places open to the public;
• refusal or limitation of access to public transport by air, land or sea;
• refusal or limitation of access to healthcare provided in public or private healthcare establishments;
• Refusal or limitation of access to educational establishments, public or private, as well as any means of compensation/support appropriate to the specific needs of pupils with disabilities;
• Class formation or the adoption of other measures of internal organisation in public or private educational establishments, according to criteria of discrimination on grounds of disability, unless it is a question of benefiting persons with disabilities in order to guarantee the exercise of rights on an equal basis;
• Adoption of a practice or measure by any company, entity, body, service, employee or agent of the direct or indirect administration of the State, the Autonomous Regions or local authorities, which conditions or limits the practice of exercising any right;
• the adoption of an act in which, publicly or with the intention of wide dissemination, a natural or legal person, whether public or private, makes a statement or transmits information by virtue of which a group of persons is threatened, insulted or degraded on grounds of discrimination on grounds of disability;
• Adoption of measures limiting access to new technologies.

How can I report discrimination?

You may lodge a complaint with one of the following:

• Member of the Government in charge of disability;
• National Institute for Rehabilitation;
• National Council for the Rehabilitation and Integration of Persons with Disabilities;
• Entity with competence for the investigation of administrative offence proceedings.

If you wish to refer your complaint to the INR you must complete the Complaint Form and send it to inr@inr.mtsss.pt

What happens when there is a complaint of discrimination?

In the event of a complaint, an administrative offence procedure is initiated in which the facts are ascertained. In proven cases of discrimination, the citizen may go to court and claim compensation for material and non-material damage.

Updated: 10-08-2020

Do I have a disability/disability have the right to non-emergency transport of patients?

The citizen with a degree of disability equal to more than 60% and cumulatively economic deprivation is entitled to free non-emergency transport of patients under the indication of a medical prescription.

Updated: 10-08-2020

Can I take a longer period of parental leave as a parent of a child with a disability?

No, the period of parental leave is that laid down in the general rules. However, there is the possibility of taking leave to care for a child with a disability, for a period of 6 months up to a maximum of 4 years, whose allowance must be claimed from social security.

Can I benefit from a change/reduction of hours due to having a child with a disability?

Yes, the labour code provides for the possibility for a worker with a disabled child to request flexible working hours or part-time work. For workers performing public functions, the continuous or half-day regime is also established. However, these changes require the agreement of the employer.

By accompanying my disabled child to treatment, do I lose my right to work pay?

No, i.e. in the follow-up the consultation that fits the following description: “Those motivated by the need for outpatient treatment, medical appointments and additional diagnostic tests, which cannot be carried out outside the normal working period and only for the time strictly necessary”, do not entail loss of remuneration, but may entail loss of meal allowance.l or more than 60%, as evidenced by a medical certificate of multi-use incapacity, are exempt from payment of the moderating fees.

Updated: 10-08-2020

Who can take advantage of the places reserved for people with disabilities?

All citizens with a community model parking card for people with disabilities.

How can I request a parking space for people with disabilities?

The allocation of parking space reserved for people with disabilities, within the localities is the responsibility of the City Councils, which have a specific parking regulation. These seats are intended for persons holding the community model parking card for persons with disabilities.

Can parking spaces reserved for persons with disabilities with identification plates only be used by the identified vehicle?

No, the place reserved for the disabled person is intended for all holders of the community parking card for the disabled person. Registration, sometimes associated with places reserved for disabled persons, is not a binding element recognised by the Road Traffic Code.

How can I act if I am aware of misuse of a parking space reserved for persons with disabilities?

You must report the situation to the police authorities, requesting the removal of the vehicle in question.

Is the disabled person entitled to an exemption from parking charges in the concession spaces?

There is no law that prescribes this benefit, however some concessionaires enshrine this benefit.

Updated: 10-08-2020

Who is entitled to priority care?

The person with a degree of disability equal to or greater than 60% (proven by AMIM), the pregnant woman, the companion of a child up to 2 years old and the person over 65 years old and with visible difficulties in locomotion or cognition, in the face-to-face service, public or private.

Should you ask for priority care yourself?

Yes, the citizen may have to prove to the employee of the establishment, the degree of disability, the age equal to or greater than 65 years even if he has changes or limitations of physical or mental functions, the age of the lap child and pregnancy, or even that he has an interest in the exercise of this right.

If there are 2 or more people who want priority care, who has priority?

If there are several people in those circumstances in the same queue, the service is done on a first-come, first-served basis.

Are there places/situations where priority care does not apply?

Yes. Priority service does not apply in the following situations:

1. Face-to-face service to the public through pre-arrangement services;
2. health care providers when the right to health protection and access to health care is at stake (the order of care should be determined according to the clinical evaluation);
3. Registrars or other registration entities, when the change of the attendance order calls into question the attribution of a subjective right or position of advantage arising from the priority of the registration.

What to do if priority is refused?

You can request the presence of the police authority and make a written complaint to:

• National Institute for Rehabilitation;
• General Inspectorate, regulatory body or other body to whose inspection or sanctioning powers the entity that committed the infringement is subject. For example, in a catering establishment, the complaint must be made to the Food and Economic Safety Authority (ASAE).

For more information see the Decree-Law No 58/2016 of 29 August 2016 HERE

Updated: 10-08-2020

What are the specific responses for persons with disabilities?

The responses, promoted by the Social Security Institute, according to the specific situation, are as follows:

• Early intervention in childhood;
• Family care for children and young people with disabilities
• Home support
• Occupational Activity Center
• Family care for adults with disabilities
• Home support
• Residential home
• Autonomous residence
• Transport of persons
• Holiday and leisure centre
• Outpatient support

Where can I apply for this type of support?

O Institute of Social Security (ISS, I.P.) is the entity responsible for the above-mentioned social protection responses

Updated: 10-08-2020

Who can benefit from the Social Benefit for Inclusion?

Persons with disabilities are entitled to the Social Inclusion Benefit if:

1. you are legally resident in Portugal (or other situations provided for in international instruments or special legislation);
2. is 18 years of age or older on the date of submission of the application, duly completed;
3. has a disability with a degree of disability equal to or greater than 60%, duly certified;
4. If you are in receipt of an invalidity pension, you have a disability with a degree of incapacity equal to or greater than 80%.

Note: The recognition of the right to benefit from the age of 55 depends on whether the disability certification (or the appeal of its assessment) was applied for before the age of 55. Certification of disability and determination of the degree of disability for the purposes of granting this benefit is the responsibility of the medical boards of the health authorities.

Can I accrue PSI with employment income?

Yes, bearing in mind that in the case of people with disabilities with a degree of disability between 60% and 79%, income from work is considered for the PSI attribution value.

What about other benefits?

The benefit may be combined with the following benefits (according to the rules for the allocation of each of the components of the benefit):

1. Pensions from the social security system, the convergent social protection system and pensions from foreign schemes;
2. Widow's/widower's pensions;
3. Family allowances (Children's and Young People's Family Allowance, Pre-Christmas Family Allowance, Scholarship and Funeral Allowance);
4. allowance for attendance at a special education institution;
5. Addiction supplement;
6. supplement for dependent spouse;
7. Social Income for Inclusion;
8. Benefits in lieu of employment income (from the social security system);
9. unemployment and parenthood benefits of the solidarity subsystem;
10. Compensation and pensions for accidents at work and occupational diseases;
11. third-party civil liability damages;
12. Death grant from the social security system.

Updated: 10-08-2020

I am a person with a disability. Can I do physical activity or play a sport?

Yes. In principle, everyone, regardless of their disability, can do physical activity or play a sport, it is enough that the necessary conditions are in place.

What is the difference between physical activity and sport?

Physical activity can be defined as any body movement, for example, walking or climbing stairs, which contemplates any movement performed by the skeletal muscles of the body resulting in an energy expenditure above rest values. Sport involves regulated physical activity, of an individual or collective nature and presupposes planning and definition of objectives. The sport can be recreation or high-performance.

What levels of physical activity are recommended for adults?

It is recommended that adults accumulate at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity. It is understood that adults should practice activities that contribute to improving or maintaining muscle strength and endurance at least twice a week.

What Does Moderate Physical Activity Mean?

Moderate physical activity is one that raises the respiratory rate and heart rate sensitively and above normal (rest) and usually causes some body warming. For example, it is moderate physical activity to walk quickly, as it contributes to energy expenditure and helps to maintain a healthier metabolism, in particular by preventing obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Does physical activity have proven positive effects on diseases and health conditions?

Yes. There are more than 20 diseases and health-related conditions for which there is scientific evidence of a positive role of regular physical activity. Physical activity reduces mortality rates, among others, from coronary heart disease, hypertension, thrombosis (stroke), type II diabetes and depression. There is strong evidence of the effects of physical activity on cardio-respiratory and muscle fitness, weight and body composition, bone health, functionality and physical autonomy, and also cognitive function.

What are the benefits associated with regular physical activity by people with disabilities?

They are benefits of a physiological nature, associated with cardiovascular health and the reduction of the risk of developing diseases associated with inactivity and sedentary lifestyle, psychological related to the development of skills to control anxiety and day-to-day tensions and combat depression, and sociological related to the integration of the person with disabilities in society, empowering them to feel part of a whole.

Where can I play sports?

In general, the vast majority of organisations of persons with disabilities pursue sport and leisure activities, according to the disability area in which they operate. Sports federations, associations and sports clubs also currently have departments for people with disabilities. For more information you can consult the sports inclusion map at: https://www.comiteparalimpicoportugal.pt/Paginas/mapaClubes.aspx

How can I find out which sport is best suited to my disability?

You should consult a doctor and/or a sports technician who will assess your physical condition and advise you on the most appropriate sports, taking into account, in particular, their type and degree of severity, whether you have already practiced any sport, what type of competitions, activities, equipment and infrastructure are available and what their logistical and transport needs are.

Is there an ideal age to start sports?

No, no, no, no. Physical activity and sport, including recreation, should be practiced by all people, regardless of age, since, in addition to bringing recognised health benefits, it is an excellent vehicle for social inclusion.

Is there any specific support for having a disability?

Yes. In the development of your sports practice in clubs should always have the specialized support of technicians who will do the proper monitoring.

Is there any financial support?

Yes. If it is considered eligible, it may be covered by the high-income scheme or be integrated into the Paralympic or Deaflympic Programme and thus benefit from financial support.

How can I be considered eligible?

Eligibility is made through a classification process under the responsibility of international organisations in the field of sport for persons with disabilities. For more information you should contact the Paralympic Committee of Portugal or the federations of the respective sport.

Where can I get more information?

More information can be found at:

• National Action Plan for the Promotion of Physical Activity
• Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, I.P.
• Paralympic Committee of Portugal
• Portuguese Federation of Sports for the Disabled - FPDD