4 out of 10
Legal capacity can be partially removed. This can restrict the right to vote and the right to stand for elections.
Many adults with intellectual disabilities are living in larger institutions and there is no plan to close these institutions.
Most adults with intellectual disabilities live with their family. Some live in their own place.
Most children with intellectual disabilities go to special schools.
Very few people with intellectual disabilities have a job on the open labour market and they risk to lose their disability benefits when they earn their own salary.
People with intellectual disabilities have limited access to general healthcare.
People with intellectual disabilities are represented within the national disability organisation. Inclusion ASBL does not receive government funding for their advocacy work.
Belgium European average
Most of the budget allowed to the policy of disability is for institutions. It's still very complicated to organise a community-based solution. In Brussels and Wallonia, there are very few people receiving an individual budget.
| Mainstream education | 200 |
|---|---|
| Special education | 21,000 |
| No education | * |
* Education figures: No data available. Institution figures: No data available.
Inclusion ASBL kindly filled out the survey. The response only reflects the situation in Brussels and Wallonia.
These are the reported or estimated numbers of the country. In most cases, in reality, the numbers will be higher as the data is underreported or missing entirely.
3.5 out of 10
Legal capacity can be partially removed. This can restrict the right to vote and the right to stand for elections. Voting is not very accessible.
Many adults with intellectual disabilities are in larger institutions, some live in small care homes. There is no plan to close institutions.
Most adults with intellectual disabilities live with their family. Not enough support is available for people with intellectual disabilities, and for families.
Most children with intellectual disabilities go to special schools, few go to mainstream schools or have no education.
Very few people with intellectual disabilities have a job on the open labour market. People risk losing disability benefits when they earn their own salary.
Some people with intellectual disabilities have access to healthcare, no easy-to-read information on healthcare. By law, people with intellectual disabilities cannot be forcibly sterilised, but it is still performed.
People with intellectual disabilities are represented in the national cross-disability organisation. Inclusion ASBL does not receive government funding for advocacy work.
Belgium European average
The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities expressed concern about recently adopted law that makes it easier for a judge to declare persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities incapable to exercise their political rights.
It is recommended by the UN that Belgium revise its systems of disability assessment by replacing the medical model of disability with the human rights model of disability.
| Mainstream education | 200 |
|---|---|
| Special education | 21,000 |
| No education | * |
* Institution figures: No data available.
Belgium’s scores are based on 2023 data, as there was no reported change in the country. The data only reflects the situation in Brussels and Wallonia.
These are the reported or estimated numbers of the country. In most cases, in reality, the numbers will be higher as the data is underreported or missing entirely.
3.8 out of 10
Legal capacity can be partially removed. This can restrict the right to vote and the right to stand for elections. Voting is not very accessible.
Many people with intellectual disabilities are living in large institutions and there is no plan to close these institutions. Some live in small care homes.
Some adults with intellectual disabilities live with their family, some live in their own place. When parents can no longer provide support, the person moves to an institution. Disability benefits go to the person with an intellectual disability. There are mechanisms to assess quality of services, but they are not mandatory.
Almost all children with intellectual disabilities go to special schools. Very few go to mainstream schools, and some receive no education at all. There is no strategy towards inclusive education.
Very few people with an intellectual disability have a job on the open labour market. People risk losing their disability benefits when they earn a salary. Adults working in ‘protected employment’ get paid at least minimum wage.
Many people with intellectual disabilities have access to general healthcare. Access to sex education is poor. By law, there is freedom of choice in reproductive health, but not in practice. Forced sterilisation is not allowed by law.
People with intellectual disabilities are represented within the national cross-disability organisation, but there is no person with an intellectual disability on the board/council. Inclusion ASBL receives government for advocacy work.
Belgium European average
There are quality assessment tools available, but this assessment is not actually mandatory for services. When it is carried out, it is most often done by the institution itself rather than by an external party, which would be more neutral.
Many people have no solution and remain in their parents' homes. Every year, the waiting lists grow longer, and the government fails to take meaningful action. At Inclusion ASBL, we regularly run campaigns calling on politicians to take action.
| Mainstream education | 200 |
|---|---|
| Special education | 21,000 |
| No education | * |
* Institution figures: No data available.
The data only reflects the situation in Brussels and Wallonia.
These are the reported or estimated numbers of the country. In most cases, in reality, the numbers will be higher as the data is underreported or missing entirely.