Disability today and tomorrow

These past weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions when it comes to dealing with disability, one of the responsi­bilities that the Prime Minister gave me when he appointed me Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing.

Disability is not homogenous, so there cannot be a one size fits all

The first thing I realised is that this isn’t an issue of ‘for’ but ‘with’ disabled persons and their families.

The second thing that clicked was that we need all those interested in the sector – disabled activists, parent activists, allies and professionals – to come forward and help us shape a far-reaching and exciting agenda.

One of the first social policy issues that the Labour Party adopted a clear position on, even before the official electoral campaign, was that of providing a better deal for the disabled.

We promised residential services for disabled persons, to reassure parents that their son/daughter would be supported and catered for after they (the parents and/or relatives) passed away or became too ill to keep supporting them. We repeated this commitment in our manifesto and, again, in the Government’s programme of work.

What is important is that, from the outset, we work on the principle that this is not about crisis management but about disabled people making their own choices on where, how and with whom to live and how services are provided.

Mistakes were made in the past. People were sorted into boxes or pigeonholes. We must change this attitude. We need to work on the principle of disabled persons and their families having a voice and a choice.

The Government’s commitment to the sector is as clear as can be.

It is the first time that such a high level office is being dedicated to the disability sector and a close read of the political programme of the Government reveals the wide-ranging and ambitious agenda that lies before us.

Many people have come forward to share their enthusiasm, ideas and vision for the sector.

Some have been pouring out thoughts that had been bottled up for years.

I have been deeply touched by the enthusiasm that has flowed.

This is a sector that affects a large number of people directly inasmuch as they are either disabled persons or close relatives but also indirectly because, at the end of the day, society should benefit from the active contribution of these citizens and not only parcel out benefits.

Grievances have been building up in this sector these past few years. Consequently, gripes and distress started getting amplified as the feeling of ‘not being heard’ or being pushed aside left people without answers or acknowledgment to their concerns.

This indelible mark on the sector has been further expounded and, subsequently, this agenda has been relegated down the nation’s priority list, unfortunately.

This is being addressed. One of our first initiatives is to see what EU funds are available to help stimulate this sector and blend with government funding. Naturally, while looking at the macro picture we are also very interested in creating the mechanisms that will ensure we can mitigate and address personal, individual grievances and group requests that repeatedly come from NGOs and support groups.

We are looking at a variety of initiatives to reach out to the community, review policy, services and legislation, set up new organisational infrastructure that will allow the Government, via the Parliamentary Secretariat for Active Ageing and Disability Rights, to monitor what disabled people and their families have to say and are feeling.

A direct flow of communication is imperative in this sector. Disability is not homogenous, so there cannot be a one size fits all.

Matching the person to the right type of service will provide satisfaction for the service-user and will also avoid wastage.

The Equal Opportunities Act (Persons with Disability) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are the mainstay of our strategy but things can change fast and we need to be on our toes to ensure that we are dancing to the right tune.

The parliamentary secretariat will endeavour to improve policy, engage the private and state sector to employ disabled people, develop an assortment of residential schemes that reassure disabled people and their families and improve community services.

We need to be alive to the aspirations of disabled people and their families.

A good deal of work needs to be done and our resources are not unlimited but the time for action is now and we are determined to succeed.

Franco Mercieca is Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing.