A consultation document proposing standards for residential services for people with disability was rolled out this morning. Its purpose is to harmonise the quality of services provided to the disabled.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Rights of Persons with Disability, Justyne Caruana, said that Malta had ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2012.

Now the next step was the implementation, she added. The Convention obliges the government to provide models which provide tailor-made and holistic services for disabled people.

Enforcement mechanisms will also feature heavily, Dr Caruana said. Emphasis will be placed on independent living and adequate staff training.

The national standards document targets three main areas: the needs of residential facilities, adequate and competent employees and the way the service is operated.

It goes into the rights which the resident is entitled to, including the resident’s legal rights, the way medication is administered and handled, the food offered, security, complaints, the viewing of sexuality as a natural and integral part of life and issues relating to privacy.

The document also underscores the emancipation of disabled people, Dr Caruana said, gesturing to the delicate pottery, crochet, ganutell and other crafts displayed by disabled residents of a number of day centres and the elderly of St Vincent de Paule.

“We want to help bring out their hidden talents, as evidenced from the beautiful exhibition set up.”

The consultation document can be viewed on http://www.activeageing.gov.mt/en/Pages/Setting-the-standards-for-residential-services-for-persons-with-disability.aspx

People are invited to send in recommendations and suggestions on disabilityresidences.mfss@gov.mt by June 5.