There are a number of ways in which the success of a community can be measured.

Some that come immediately to mind are the ability to sustain relationships, quality of life, standard of living, adequate leisure facilities, creativity and physical, sensorial and all other forms of access, amongst other. However, when it all boils down, I would say that the one element that is crucial in encouraging full access to the community, which in turn allows for the dignity and autonomy of the individual, is that of employment.

During the 13 months I have been responsible for this sector, I have worked tirelessly – together with the stakeholders – to try to find solutions as to how to get more people with a disability involved and actively engaged in the employment sector. 

In fact we launched a number of initiatives in the last budget, the most fundamental being that we have committed ourselves to continue paying disability benefit, even if the person with the disability is in employment. The fact that we can state that, less than half-way through this legislature, 117 people with disability – around 21 per cent of such people registering for work – have found a job is no small achievement and one that spurs us on to keep working hard in this sector. 

That is why our National Disability Policy for People with Disability and the Employment Policy all refer very clearly to the need to encourage people with disability to work. That is why our National Disability Strategy and our UN CRPD State Report are looking at ways of getting more employers and government entities on board in this national project to increase employment. That is why we are involved in the process of reviewing our Equal Opportunities Act, revamping our Act on the Employment of Persons with Disability and working towards Social Enterprise, amongst others. 

The government is seeing very good results in the employment sector and we need to keep transfer the momentum generated in this sector to the general field of disability. The pledge of this government in this sector is as clear as crystal. We are embarking on a Documentation Programme and establishing training hubs in Gozo, supporting ETC in its endeavours and linking up with the Leap Project to involve civil society and have already established the Act that statutorily obliges a significant number of boards and authorities to have people with disability closely monitoring every sector of society. 

My dream is to see more people with disability become less dependent on the state and more reliant on their own abilities. 

It is no easy task ahead of us because we need to overcome the barriers and perceptions that those with disability need to be dependent on the state. That is wrong. We need to use all the means at our disposal – be it sheltered employment, supported or open employment – each according to their needs. 

We can do this if we are together. 

My appeal is for employers to keep believing in people with disability because there is hope and there is commitment from these individuals. They are driven by belief and resolve and if employed it will be a win-win situation for every employer who takes the plunge. I witnessed this first-hand only this week when I visited the Medavia premises. Medavia employ two people with disability who give their 200 per cent in their place of work and have brought about a paradigm shift even in their colleagues’ mentality and approach. On the basis of this extremely positive experience, Medavia is not only keen to employ more people with disability but is also encouraging an exercise within the aviation sector to identify jobs suitable for people with disability.

These are success stories to be emulated and my Secretariat will be at the forefront to provide help and support when and wherever necessary.

 

Dr Caruana is the Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of People with Disability and Active Ageing