Judicial protest over accessibility problems

The National Commission for Persons with Disability yesterday filed judicial protests against the University of Malta and Le Meridien Phoenicia.

In 2001, the commission had lodged formal complaints with the university regarding Student's House, which, it says, is not accessible to people with mobility impairments, and with the Le Meridien Phoenicia hotel in connection with what it considers to be a dangerous ramp at the hotel's entrance and the lack of accessibility to the ballroom.

Following discussions, it had been agreed that both the university and the hotel would provide a timeframe for the completion of the modifications. The university, however, failed to give one, the commission said.

The hotel's management had reached an agreement whereby the necessary modifications would be carried out by 2003. But to date no modifications had been carried out and no reasonable timeframe for the completion of works had been indicated.

The commission is asking both the University of Malta and the Hotel Le Meridien Phoenicia to honour the agreements or face legal action.