Associações de apoio à pessoa com deficiência ou incapacidade: um importante recurso nas políticas sociais

Introduction: The multiple changes that have occurred because of changes in society and the achievements of people with disabilities regarding their rights are great achievements. However, this was only possible due to the effort and dedication of numerous associations. Aims: To identify the associations that support people with disabilities in Lisbon and make their social and demographic profile. Methodology: At first, there was an exploratory phase for the data collection on the websites; at the second phase, we took an individual approach to obtain information about each association. Results: The 1st Association was born at the end of the 19th century, in 1888, and the last one appeared in 2005. From the 24 associations, that support people with disabilities and/or their families, that emerged in the last 50 years, only 8 (33%) are focusing on early intervention. Conclusion: The findings point to the importance that these associations have on the social environment, since they integrate experts on disability and more competent authorities to raise awareness of society, in order to promote a better quality of life for these persons.