As part of the measures being undertaken by central government for the development of sustainable localities, a fund amounting to €100,000 has been allocated for a scheme to assist in making Local Councils’ premises and public spaces falling under their remit more physically accessible to the community.

This scheme was launched today by Chris Said, Parliamentary Secretary for Public Dialogue and Information, accompanied by Mr Joe Camilleri, Chairperson of the National Commission Persons with Disability (KNPD).

Local Councils are benefitting from over €28 million in direct financial allocations for this year, including an allocation of €0.5 million designed for special schemes as the one launched today.

The results of a survey conducted by the Department of Local Government reveal that 46% of Local Councils, that is 31 administration offices, are fully accessible, whereas 19 out of the remaining 37 Local Councils can become accessible. This led Government to launch a scheme to assist Local Councils in improving their existing administraton buildings, so as to become physically accessible to all. The scheme is extended to assist those Local Councils willing to improve physical accessibility even in public spaces within their locality, explained Dr Chris Said.

“The fund will faciliate Local Councils in eliminating restrictions to accessibility. By means of this fund, Government is ensuring that public spaces within localities become accessible to all the community, with special care given to the elderly and persons with special needs, considering that Local Councils need to become one-stop shops,” stated the Parliamentary Secretary.

Mr Joe Camilleri, Chairman KNPD, welcomed this initiative and stated that it is seen as a very significant step in ensuring equal access to Local Councils and the services that they offer. “KNPD will be giving its full support to the implementation of this policy as outlined in the Guidance Notes issued by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Public Dialogue and Information. I augur that this initiative will have a very positive outcome, thus becoming another link in a chain of services which will continue to improve the quality of life of all disabled people in Malta and Gozo. In the words of KNPD’s slogan for 2009, Access for All, Success for All,” stated Mr Camilleri.

The Scheme’s guidelines follow Government’s policy objectives, namely the Strategy for Sustainable Localities guidelines and the ‘Access for All Design’ guidelines published by the KNPD.

All features relating to building development need to be designed in a manner that conforms with the ‘Access for All’ requirements. The alterations or development should also be in line with the Strategy for Local Sustainable Development, whereby initiatives should amply cater for and be informed by locality knowledge and community needs.

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