Id-Dar tal-Providenza, in Siġġiewi was the forerunner in providing residential services to people with disability in Malta back in 1965. It continues to do so thanks to the great generosity of the Maltese people through their continuous support of the home both financially and through many hours of voluntary work.

It should, therefore, come as no surprise that Id-Dar tal-Providenza fully backs the main recommendation made by Joe Camilleri, chairman of the National Commission Persons with Disability (KNPD) in his article The Defiant Cry Of Number Six, namely that there should be “cross-party agreement to commit ring-fenced public funds to enable the creation of approximately 10 small, residential units in the community per year and that this must remain an annual commitment”.

Id-Dar tal-Providenza would also like to emphasise, and we are sure Mr Camilleri would be in full agreement, that his Robert could easily be a person with an intellectual impairment who also wants to live within the community and not be a number in an institution.

Furthermore, Id-Dar tal-Providenza fully concurs with article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, which enshrines the following principles: Disabled persons have a right to chose where and who to live with; disabled persons should not be forced to live in places such as institutions; and disabled persons are to be granted access to a variety of services in residential homes or other support services within the community.

In order to implement these principles in a gradual and sustainable manner, Id-Dar tal-Providenza is embarking on a project through which it will continue to establish small community homes for residents, in small numbers. They will be in a better position to participate as fully as possible in the community and live independently given the necessary support.

Id-Dar tal-Providenza already has Żerniq, a community home in Siġġiewi, where five of its residents live with the needed support. This year, we are pleased to note that one of our residents has moved out of the home to live within the community and this with the support of various entities, mainly the Housing Authority and KNPD.

It is our plan that in the early part of next year we will open a new community home in Qawra for a small number of disabled persons to allow them to live in that community, again, with the necessary support. Id-Dar tal-Providenza is committed to continue developing these community homes within its available resources.

It is also of the opinion that disabled people can enjoy the above-mentioned rights only if they are financially independent. Given the present disability pension, disabled people are far from being financially independent.

At present, the disability pension only amounts to about 58 per cent of the minimum wage. How can a disabled person live independently on this meagre income? Therefore, Id-Dar tal-Providenza would like to recommend that the disability pension is gradually increased to at least the minimum wage.

Id-Dar tal-Providenza sincerely hopes that these two recommendations are accepted both by society and also by the government and are included in the Budget for 2012.

The authors are director and administrator respectively of Id-Dar tal-Providenza