Brazil's APAE de Salvador Marks 35 Years of Lei de Cotas with Inclusion Event

On 24 July, the Associação de Pais e Amigos dos Excepcionais (APAE) of Salvador held a public forum at the Tribunal de Justiça da Bahia in Salvador to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Brazil's Lei de Cotas (Law 8.213/1991) for people with disabilities. The program featured two debate panels – one on professional valuation of disabled workers and another on personal protagonism in the labour market – with speakers including APAE coordinator Jaqueline Braz, Desembargador Rilton Goes Ribeiro, Promotor de Justiça Fernando Gaburri, auditor Taís Arruti and representatives from local businesses and vocational schools. The event also offered artistic performances from the APAE’s visual‑arts workshop and its dance company. Participants highlighted practical steps for inclusion, such as simple workplace adaptations, and reaffirmed the need for continued monitoring of quota compliance by companies and public institutions.