Ta' Qali comes alive with dancing and singing

The Ta' Qali basketball complex was bustling with activity yesterday as dancers gyrated, goals were scored and the audience cheered during activities organised by Aġenzija Sapport as part of Disability Week 2008.

The week coincides with International Day of Persons with Disability, marked today, and is aimed at bringing together 350 disabled from 10 different care centres, encouraging them to dance, sing and take part in football games. A football tournament was organised where teams from different care centres played against each other. There was also a Christmas medley and dance routine from the film Grease, performed by clients, volunteers and carers.

A group of MPs also made an appearance in the football tournament, as David Agius, Robert Arrigo, Frans Agius and Mario Galea took to the field, playing against clients, management and staff teams. Various singers, including Priscilla Psaila and Alessia Camilleri, provided entertainment.

Marcel Pisani, Sapport chief operations officer, emphasised that participation was the motto which shaped the events. Everyone was encouraged to take part and enjoy themselves.

The next step, he said, was to organise activities that brought together individuals with and without disabilities, in places where people could just show up and take part.

Mass will be held at St Theresa's church, Birkirkara, tomorrow, led by Archbishop Paul Cremona. According to figures released by the National Statistics Office published yesterday, there were 10,291 people registered with a disability last year. Of these, 54 per cent were males.

The statistics showed that 6,556 suffered a physical disability (60 per cent were among those aged 60 and over), while 2,052 suffered intellectual disabilities (59 per cent were registered among those aged 17-59).

The NSO added that 9,038 of those registered held a special identity card as at the end of the year while 1,041 still had to be approved.

As at the end of the year, there were 5,267 blue-sticker holders and 982 pending applications, 700 of which were recommended for acceptance.