The number of Gozitan people with disabilities who register has decreased by 65% over four years, while in two years the number of people with disabilities working in Gozo has increased by 19%.

This was noted by the Minister for Inclusion and Quality of Life Julia Farrugia Portelli during a webinar organised by the Office of the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Gozo.

The aim of this webinar was to discuss the challenges that Gozitans with disabilities are facing in the workplace.

She went on to say that statistics show that over a period of four years, Gozitans with disabilities who register has decreased by 65%, from 60 people in 2016 the number dropped to 21 in 2019.

In addition, at the end of last year there were 201 disabled people working in Gozo compared to 169 at the end of 2018. This was an increase of 19% over two years, the Minister said.

Minister Farrugia Portelli explained how the government “continued to put investment in Gozo at the top of the agenda.”

“As a government we will continue to help and encourage in various ways more investment and job creation in Gozo. This will automatically mean the possibility of more jobs for Gozitans with disabilities,” she said.

She added that it is recognised that the biggest obstacle for a person with a disability to enter a job is the prejudice that unfortunately exists, what we first look at is the person’s disability instead of their ability. “We have a duty to empower the members of our society as a society, each and every one of us.”

Minister Farrugia Portelli concluded that, “as a government, both as a Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and through joint work with non-governmental organisations in the field of persons with disabilities, we will continue to persist in our efforts to get people with disabilities to look through a positive lens – who also have their abilities.”

Also present for this webinar was the Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri, who said that just a few days ago the government sent a clear and very strong message that we should not speak in terms of disability, but in terms of ability.

This was after Oliver Scicluna, who was the Commissioner of the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, was co-opted in the Parliament.

Minister Clint Camilleri also mentioned how the extension of the disability allowance for workers shows that “this government recognises the efforts that these people are making and wants to continue to encourage them and help them enter the world of work.”

He reminded how “never before have we had people with disabilities who have a job or who are seriously attracted to the world of work.”

Minister Camilleri concluded by saying that the Ministry for Gozo is committed to the inclusion and rights of people with disabilities and that, “we are committed to providing all possible support to both themselves, their families and their carers.”

Permalink: Gozitans with disabilities who register down by 65% over 4 years