'Few' cases of job discrimination reported in Malta

Disability Rights UK chairman Bertie Messie expressed his surprise at the fact that so few cases of discrimination in employment have been reported to the National Commission - Persons with Disability, while in the UK they accounted for about 50 per cent of the reports received.

He said the reason was possibly because Malta was not yet a rights-based culture, while in the UK there was a greater awareness of rights.

Maltese society was predominantly family-based, which was commendable. But sometimes this kept the disabled at home, rather than out and about and independent, which could mean that they were not getting everything they could out of life.

Mr Messie said it could be the case that persons with disability did not land jobs and did not know why, or question it.

He said their expectations may need to be raised, and that the matter should be looked into.

In the UK, about 3,000 cases of possible discrimination are investigated per year and in many cases the investigation itself produces change, while the cases that go to court amount to about one a week, Mr Messie said.

"We try to work with people so that we do not have to take them to court. However, it is important that those who discriminate appreciate that the days when disabled persons were locked away in cupboards and forgotten are over.

"They are part of society, they pay their taxes, they contribute and they want the benefits of society, which is happening increasingly the world over."

Mr Messie yesterday attended the Parliament of People with a Disability, organised by the National Commission Persons with Disability - one of a series of activities to mark International Day of People with Disability on Tuesday.

During the session, he spoke about the importance of enforceable rights for persons with disability and how the issue is handled in the UK.

Mr Massie also urged countries, including Malta, to support the proposed UN convention on the rights of the disabled, which, if passed in the next few years, would represent an important worldwide milestone.

Although there were similarities in approach between Malta and the UK - including the fact that both countries had a disability commission and that Maltese laws were based on those in the UK - Mr Messie said that, so far, the court system had tended to be used more in the UK than in Malta.

Complete integration was a long process, which included rendering buses accessible, for example. So were houses inaccessible due to their steps, but in the UK, all new homes would now have to be accessible, he said.

To enable disabled people to be fully independent, it was no good just picking out one aspect of social policy, but the whole range of impairments had to be catered for, including mental illness and learning disabilities, Mr Messie said.

His definition of a disabled person was wider than some would like to imagine and did not just include people in wheelchairs.

"Disability policies need to be developed right across the board," Mr Messie said.

The involvement of disabled persons in the setting of policies - as was the case both in Malta and the UK - was important because they were the ones who knew first-hand what the issues were.

Once disabled people were seen around in the workplace and other public areas, many of the prejudices would start to disappear because they would be discovered to be like anybody else.

"Disability is part of our lives and people need to realise that. A society that wants to be inclusive has to involve disabled people. Not only is it morally and now legally right, but it is also a matter of self-interest for society. The disabled can contribute a great deal as well," he said.