The Malta Federation of Organisations of Persons with Disability (MFOPD) marked its 55th anniversary last year under the theme “Nothing About Us Without Us,” reaffirming the principle that persons with disabilities must be directly involved in shaping the policies and services that affect their lives.

As part of the anniversary programme, MFOPD organised a round table conference last October which brought together national and international stakeholders to reflect on the meaning of inclusion. The discussions highlighted that while the term is widely used, it is often understood differently by different people and sectors.

During the conference, the Vice President of the European Disability Forum emphasised that the discussion should increasingly focus on the mainstreaming of services, noting that when services are designed to be accessible and inclusive from the outset, genuine inclusion follows naturally.

It was explained that mainstreaming means ensuring that education, employment, healthcare, transport and community services are designed to serve everyone, including persons with disabilities, rather than relying on separate or parallel systems. This approach strengthens equality, independence and full participation in society.

As the national umbrella organisation representing 45 organisations working with and for persons with disabilities in Malta, MFOPD said that it believes that mainstreaming must become a central guiding principle in policy development and service design.

“Inclusion cannot remain a slogan or a concept open to interpretation. It must be built into the way our society functions. When mainstream services are designed to include persons with disabilities from the start, inclusion stops being an aspiration and becomes a reality. Nothing about us should ever be decided without us,” said MFOPD.

MFOPD went on to say that it believes that achieving meaningful inclusion requires continued dialogue, genuine consultation with persons with disabilities, and a commitment to designing systems that work for everyone from the outset.

”Nothing About Us Without Us must remain the guiding principle as Malta continues working towards a more inclusive society,” it concluded.

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