Street furniture placed in the middle of pavements that confuse guide dogs, exorbitant fees for mobility training, inequality of treatment and lack of security at bank ATMs were the points brought up by representatives of the Torball Blind Association when they met Parliament’s Social Action Committee on Tuesday.

This was the first-ever parliamentary committee meeting also “attended” by a guide dog.

It was timed to coincide with the International White Cane Day on October 15.

The association was founded 20 years ago by Labour MP Noel Farrugia.

Association president Joseph Micallef said education for the blind had progressed to the point where instead of being exclusively earmarked for telephone operator duties, a blind person could now also work as a clerk.

Blind people had to pay €50 an hour for mobility training such as cooking and shopping in their quest for independence. Guide dogs were allowed free entrance in several places but an accompanier was made to pay.

Epifanio Vella, an assistant head running a rather large department at Iċ-Ċentru tal-Għomja – centre for the blind in Sta Venera, said blind people wanted to be treated as equals of others, such as pensioners with a full bonus and pension.

It had only been through a parliamentary question that they had learnt that senior citizens were allowed heavy reductions on public transport, but they (the blind) were not. Transport Malta had, however, promised funds to help train blind people to use public transport.

Instruction in walking with a white cane, which was considered a skill, cost €4,000 for a fortnight.

TBA Financial Manager Joseph Chircop said the association had bought a van from the UK but was given no help to pay for diesel for transport needs, which sometimes it could not afford.

Banks need to provide closed ATM locations to protect blind people from being robbed as soon as they withdrew cash. The advent of touch-screen ATMs was not helping because anyone who had not experienced blind people’s problems could not think about them.

The association was requesting new, better premises and subsidised electricity rates.

SAC chairman Edwin Vassallo promised that members would find the time to visit the association’s premises.

They were also having meetings with Education Division representatives on better assistance for the disabled, including the curriculum.