Helping people with disability find jobs

Parliamentary Assistant Peter Micallef has suggested the formation of a team of professionals to help people with disability integrate in society and be gainfully employed.

Persons with disability who also suffered from low academic achievement were finding it hard to find a job. These persons were often over-protected when children. Others who faced similar problems included those who had been bullied at school.

Dr Micallef said referred to developments in inclusive education and praised learning support assistants for the service they were giving in schools. Requests for this service were on the increase.

He also referred to assessments made by the Children’s Development Assessment Unit (CDAU).

The need for defining disability had long been overdue. It was now properly defined enabling the authorities to draft the required programmes.

Elderly people with problems of mobility were also entitled to blue stickers. He called for discipline so that those needing parking spaces could find them. Local councils had to be more conscious of persons with disability in planning pavements and placing street furniture.

There were elderly persons who although mentally stable, were prevented from making a will because of the circumstances they lived in.

Ċensu Galea (PN) said the rights of disabled persons should also be extended to and enjoyed by others in developing countries. Families were ensuring these persons would integrate in society. But families alone were not enough; dedication and support in society was also required to reduce, if not completely eliminate these differences.

Mr Galea said disabled persons had the ability to participate in everyday life and the capability to work. Everyone should make sure these persons would have the opportunity to lead an active role in every activity.

Girls and women were more prone to being discriminated against and the convention provided that they should be given more protection. More services and initiatives should be provided in schools to persons with disability since their very first days to guarantee their total integration.

Mr Galea said the government was trying to guarantee that persons with disability would be able to earn a decent living. Education, therefore, was being given much more importance because it lead to independence.

Mr Galea said the government had made all public places accessible. However, some local councils lacked such facilities.

Fredrick Azzopardi (PN) said called on society to have the right attitude towards persons with special needs. These included not only persons with physical disabilities, but also those with mental health problems, drug addicts as well as orphans. It was important to keep in mind that equality meant respect among all citizens. Respect for equality would not only lead to a life with dignity but would also help Maltese economy.

Persons with disability in Gozo had been largely marginalised and it was only later that their situation improved. The Church had a very important role to play in this respect because government facilities were not enough.

Mr Azzopardi said disabled persons in Gozo started enjoying full benefits, like their Maltese counterparts, when the Ministry for Gozo was created. The ministry was in close contact with caring organisations while assistance continued to be provided through the general hospital which, on a daily basis provided physiotherapy and other services. Various refurbishments had been carried out in to make them more accessible. But the biggest change was the eradication of the archaic mentality that some Gozitans still harboured over this issue.

There was also discriminatory legislation that restricted disabled persons from working. Certain clauses have now been repealed. Legislation needed to be updated to reflect current needs. Turning to inclusive education, Mr Azzopardi said that the system was not yet perfect. The majority of disabled children made use of the system through Learning Support Assistants and the special school.

After reaching the age of 16, one could also make use of sheltered workshops and use the pathway course at Mcast.

Joe Falzon (PN) said that the government always believed in children with disability and achieved in managed to change people’s mentality on the integration of persons with special needs. This integration was particularly achieved in education and health.

Karl Gouder (PN) spoke about the commitment of the KPND so that society would be inclusive giving equal opportunities to everyone including people with special needs. A lot had been done on integration but there was still more to do.

The education system had adapted to the children’s individual needs. This also applied to children with special needs who were attending mainstream schools. This was crucial to achieve greater integration.

Malta’s participation in the Special Olympics where the Maltese contingent won a number of medals had done Malta proud. Edwin Vassallo (PN) proposed an amendment to the word insane (miġnuna) in the Civil Code so that it reflected the Bill. This term had been defined as a person suffering from mental disability.

The House Social Affairs Committee had looked at disability issues in the home context. A parents’ organisation had proposed that transport vans stop from using the term ‘transport for disabled persons’. He spoke of infrastructural works to pavements adding that he had encountered problems with certain local councils. A lot of pavements had been constructed contrary to what was laid in planning guidelines. Pavements had to be accessible for pram, wheelchair and motorised chair users. Accessibility and inclusiveness went together.

Instead of being more inclusive, society was becoming more individualistic and egoistic. The education system was striving for inclusiveness, but there should be corrective measures to curb egoism.

The debate continues on Monday.