The General Direction of Immigration in Costa Rica announced last week that people who need passports or residency identification cards in Braille will be able to obtain them, according to an article by Jarmon Noguera Gonzalez on La Prensa Libre.

Kathya Rodriguez, Director of Immigration, said this is part of an effort to provide more choices for people with disabilities in Costa Rica:

“We intend to address the specific needs of the different population groups. This is the time to answer to people with visual disabilities through the inclusion of Braille as an option for passports or residency cards.”

Erick Guess, executive secretary of the National Center for Rehabilitation and Special Education (CNREE), said:

“It is a great achievement by the national public system, and we already have other institutions taking action to make life easier for people with disabilities.”

Serving the Indigenous Populations of Costa Rica

At the event, it was also announced that the requirements and applications for obtaining a passport will be made available in the Cabecar language, and a regional radio campaign will be launched as a way to inform the indigenous people of Costa Rica of the process. Director Kathya Rodriguez explained that:

“We have translated the requirements and application forms for obtaining a passport to the Cabecar language, and we are about to do so in the Bribri language.”

The indigenous people of Costa Rica will still have to interact with Spanish-speaking government employees when they apply for passports at service centers.