Be the first to comment!Persons with disability should live independently in the community – MFOPD
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The Malta Federation of Organisations of Persons with Disability, said in a statement that, “persons with disability should live independently in the community with all the necessary required services accessible in the community.”
It said that, Personal Assistance is the tool for independent living. Quoting the European Disability Forum, “historically persons with disability were thought to be better off in institutions. This medical / charity model of supporting persons with disabilities still exists among professionals, parents, service providers…..Living in the community is difficult when there is a shortage of accessible housing and when public services, public transport and amenities such as shops and restaurants are also inaccessible.”
The MFOPD noted that the Government has entered into a €7 million agreement, over a three year period, with ALS Malta Foundation to expand its range of service for more individuals with various disabilities.
The MFOPD insisted that the Government “should use these ‘agreement’ funds for community services to enable all to live in the community and not for segregation.”
It said that, “presently we have a situation where on one hand the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability has been introduced into the Maltese law; the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) has just conducted a research on deinstitutionalisation to promote Independent Living; Agenzija Sapport with the support of the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is working on a Personal Assistance reform; residential homes for persons with intellectual disabilities have been asked not to accept new intakes while on the other hand national funds are being used to increase the number of persons with physical disabilities in residential homes. Such agreement to increase the intake of persons with physical disability in an institution goes against the spirit of the UNCRPD.”
MFOPD said that it would like to share the following information – “during the side-event co-organised by ENIL yesterday 15th June at the UN Headquarters in New York in collaboration with Agenzija Sapport and the Global Coalition on Deinstitutionalisation, ENIL quotes and is in agreement with one of the panelist’s statement, “Institutionalisation is not just discrimination, but violence, degrades our humanity, robs our dignity as members of society.”
