Government funding for disability work

I refer to the editorial entitled Park of Friendship in Jeopardy (February 27). As a non-profit-making organisation providing support programmes to 150 persons with disabilities and/or learning difficulties in the community, Equal Partners Foundation recognises the work undertaken by Razzett tal-Hbiberija. In fact, some of our members use their facilities and the foundation itself organises a very successful barbeque on their beautiful premises.

However, we would like to clarify that the services provided by Equal Partners are not subsidised by the government. For the past six years, Equal Partners has been relentlessly appealing to the government to support those families who have opted to receive the services for their children from the foundation. To date these families are being discriminated against.

Most of our parents make extreme sacrifices to pay for the much-needed support for the growth and social inclusion of their children. The staff at Equal Partners also devote hours of voluntary work to support these families.

Equal Partners believes in the concept of self-determination, even when it comes to choice of services. For real choice to take place, parents need to be provided with adequate funding. If the state chooses to support, through funding, persons with disabilities, then this support needs to be either given directly to parents/persons with disability, or else to the organisation from which the individual is receiving services. The Spiteri Report on special and inclusive education emphasises that the government should review how it allocates these funds "to enable parents who select different programmes to benefit equitably from such public assistance".

In conclusion, we sincerely hope that Razzett's plea and those of similar organisations are taken into account, for a more equitable distribution of available funds.