The National Parents’ Society for Persons with Disability (NPSPD) would like to refer to the recent ongoing discussions about the acute shortage of independent supported living residences for the disabled, to ensure the future welfare of persons with disability once their parents have passed away. The discussions include the provision of community- based residential homes, the introduction of special fiscal concessions, the establishment of public-private partnership schemes and the creation of affordable protective trusts.
May we also point out that to achieve peace of mind, parents would like to see their children happily settled in a proper environment of caring and companionship while they are still around and able to rectify any shortcomings.
For many years parents of disabled children have repeatedly expressed their concern about the uncertain future of their children and pleaded with the government to properly address this issue by providing similar solutions to what is being proposed rather than committing our children to a mental institution or a home for the elderly until a placement is provided in the very limited community-based housing schemes funded by the government. We consider this as unacceptable and as going against the spirit and directives of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability which the government is duty bound to ratify by the end of this year.
We commend the very wise suggestion made by the chairman of the National Council for Persons with Disability for a cross party agreement to commit themselves to create 10 residential units per year as a start to address this precarious problem. Unfortunately this has, so far, been ignored.
According to the latest statistics provided by KNPD, there are about 3,200 persons with long-term disability aged between 35 to 59. These include about 700 persons with intellectual or multiple disabilities who are more vulnerable. There may be others who are not registered with KNPD. Many of these will be needing independent supported living in small community homes within the next 10 to 20 years. The existing houses being administered or partly administered by Aġenzija Support cater for about only 80 clients.
The NPSPD would much appreciate if similar ideas and proposals on the many issues that would benefit persons with disabilities were to be included in the electoral manifestos of all the political parties.